


Animam Immortalem

by Moon_Willow_23



Series: Familia Primum [1]
Category: The Originals (TV), The Vampire Diaries (TV)
Genre: Alaric Saltzman Needs a Hug, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Alternate Universe - Soulmates, Caroline Forbes & Damon Salvatore Friendship, Damon Salvatore Needs a Hug, Damon is a Food Snob, Dhampir, Elena Gilbert is a Mikaelson, F/M, Hybrids, Jeremy Gilbert Needs a Hug, John Gilbert Bashing, Katherine Pierce is a Mikaelson, King Niklaus, Musically Inclined Salvatores, Mystic Falls Isn't Totally Oblivious, Only Mostly Oblivious, Protective Damon Salvatore, Protective Stefan Salvatore, Royal Mikaelsons, Supernatural Constitutional Monarchy, Witch Elena
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-12-29
Updated: 2021-02-04
Packaged: 2021-03-10 16:28:04
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 24
Words: 150,453
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28400154
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Moon_Willow_23/pseuds/Moon_Willow_23
Summary: When his brother showed up on his doorstep with his pregnant girlfriend, Grayson Gilbert and his wife were happy to adopt the baby and raise her as their own. What no one told them was that the baby would be born a witch, that the baby would be born as another in a line of doppelgängers, and that the baby would grow up to be the one who would mend bridges long thought burned to cinders.Elena Beth Gilbert-Mikaelson has never been normal, but she lives by the same creed as her family: Family First.
Relationships: Alaric Saltzman/Jenna Sommers, Bonnie Bennett & Caroline Forbes, Bonnie Bennett/Jeremy Gilbert, Caroline Forbes & Damon Salvatore, Caroline Forbes & Elena Gilbert, Caroline Forbes & Jeremy Gilbert, Caroline Forbes/Stefan Salvatore, Elena Gilbert & Elijah Mikaelson, Elena Gilbert & Klaus Mikaelson, Elena Gilbert & Stefan Salvatore, Elena Gilbert/Damon Salvatore, Elijah Mikaelson & Klaus Mikaelson & Kol Mikaelson & Rebekah Mikaelson, Elijah Mikaelson/Original Female Character(s), Grayson Gilbert/Miranda Sommers Gilbert, Jeremy Gilbert & Damon Salvatore, Jeremy Gilbert & Elijah Mikaelson, Jeremy Gilbert & Klaus Mikaelson, Jeremy Gilbert & Kol Mikaelson, Jeremy Gilbert & Rebekah Mikaelson, Past Caroline Forbes/Matt Donovan, Tyler Lockwood/Katherine Pierce
Series: Familia Primum [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2080008
Comments: 7
Kudos: 33





	1. Illa Capta Est Cor Meum

**Author's Note:**

> A/N: The people of Mystic Falls may be generally oblivious to most things going on in their community, but they're not so oblivious as to all believe that everyone simultaneously missed Miranda Sommers-Gilbert's entire pregnancy when she and Grayson brought Elena home. So, when a job offer from New York came in, the Gilberts jumped at the chance and moved out of their hometown. This didn't mean that they were any more able to leave the supernatural behind them.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "She's like the wind through my tree/She rides the night next to me/She leads me through moonlight/Only to burn me with the sun/She's taken my heart.But she doesn't know what she's done..."  
> -"She's Like the Wind," by Patrick Swayze

Though he would be unlikely to tell the truth if ever asked what film he’d seen before leaving the theater the night of August 4, 1996, Damon Salvatore had been pleased enough with the film adaptation of _Emma_ , though he privately felt that _Clueless_ would always be better despite what any critic said. He was in the process of finding someone, preferably an attractive woman, to take care of the “dinner” portion of his “Dinner and a Movie” plan for the evening when he realized that he was being followed. Figuring that this made his work easier, he ducked into an alley and turned to see a man in a navy-colored suit standing behind him. He was tall, taller than Damon himself at the least, and had dark hair with blue eyes. He had an air of familiarity about him for Damon, but it wasn’t quite apparent how at first. What was apparent was the lingering scent of vervain on the man as well as the wooden stake peeking out from his jacket.

“You have no idea how long I’ve been looking for you, Mr. Salvatore.” the man said quietly, a small smile playing at his lips. “I almost thought that you’d be harder to find than Klaus Mikaelson, and I had his brother Elijah’s help with that one.”

“Who are you?” Damon asked, and the man chuckled.

“I’m Dr. Grayson Gilbert, formerly of Mystic Falls; I’m obviously well aware of who you are and what reputation you hold, Mr. Salvatore, but I don’t intend on staking you if you don’t make me.” the man said, and Damon’s eyes widened.

“Gilbert? As in Jonathan Gilbert?” he asked, and the man, Grayson, nodded. “Now, what would a Gilbert want with me?”

“He’s an ancestor, and he’s the reason I’m here to ask for your help.” Grayson replied. “I have it on good authority that you are most definitely the best person for me to approach with the current issues I’m facing.”

“Why would I help you?” Damon asked, confused.

“I have the answers to questions that you’ve had for over a century, Damon, the fate of Katherine Pierce in particular.” Grayson said, and Damon made his way over to the man at these words.

“I’m listening.” he said, and Grayson nodded.

“You must be hungry right about now, and I feel that I should ensure that you’ve fed considering I’ve just interfered with your hunting activities for the evening. I still have some reasonably fresh bags of AB- at home, Elijah didn’t finish them all on his last visit, so why don’t you come with me so we can talk about this in a more private setting? I have nothing to gain by inviting you into my home if I was intent on killing you, Damon.” he said, and Damon nodded.

“Lead the way.” the vampire said, and the human smiled.

Grayson Gilbert’s home ended up being a two-story penthouse on Park Avenue with a private elevator. Upon inviting the vampire into the apartment, Grayson has asked Damon to keep his voice down as his wife, Miranda, and their two children, four-year-old Elena and two-year-old Jeremy, were sleeping upstairs. Damon, not really interested in dealing with cranky, crying kids or an angry wife, agreed and followed Grayson into the library where he watched the man step over to the bar area, take a blood bag from the mini-fridge, and empty the contents into a wine glass before bringing it over to Damon who accepted it politely. In the glass, the dark red liquid almost didn’t look like blood at all; he briefly wondered if this was how Elijah, one of the Original vampires, drank blood while visiting the Gilberts before taking a sip of what he determined to be AB-, the rarest blood type to find outside of a blood bank. He couldn’t help but think that Grayson Gilbert had to be desperate to get him to agree to help with whatever his problem happened to be.

“So, how does a scion of one of Mystic Falls’ Founding Families end up friends with at least one of the Originals as well as living in a Manhattan penthouse?” Damon asked as Grayson poured himself a bourbon and sat down on the sofa facing away from the windows.

“We each have something the other wants, for one, and Elijah has almost nothing but time to research where as I have none between my family and my job; though, I wouldn’t call us friends, seeing as how my kids refer to him as an uncle, so we’re more like family at this point. As for how Miranda and I ended up here, that’s part of the reason I need your help.” he said as he opened a journal Damon had heard of but hadn’t actually seen. “The night before the Mystic Falls vampires were to be rounded up and burned alive in Fell’s Church, two men managed to get the drop on Katherine Pierce, and these two men happened to be Jonathan Gilbert and Niklaus Mikaelson.”

“She’s not in the tomb, is she?” Damon asked, and Grayson shook his head before taking a swig of his drink.

“Klaus left her alive, but he only did it because of a deal he and Jonathan made. Katherine was slipped some vervain in her tea that evening by a Salvatore staff member who’d been paid off by Jonathan Gilbert, and she woke tied in vervain-soaked ropes a few hours later since the bit in her tea rendered her unconscious. Klaus was there when she woke, and, using his power as an Original, he compelled her to sit still and answer every question he and Jonathan asked her with complete honesty once the ropes were removed. Everything she said, Jonathan wrote it down in his journal…well, one of his journals. I kept this one in particular from my brother because, despite being named after Jonathan, he has none of our ancestor’s integrity or morality; I can’t trust him to honor the deal.” Grayson said, stopping on a page near the back third of the book. “Katherine had made a deal with George Lockwood for him to sneak her out of town before the church was burned in exchange for a gem known as the Moonstone; they sealed the deal with sex, and she made her escape the following day as she’d planned.”

“Why did Klaus want to kill her?” Damon asked, nearly finished with his glass of blood. “How am I supposed to feel about her sleeping with Lockwood, and why didn’t she ever come looking for me if she was never in the tomb?”

“I can only answer two of those, Damon, and neither are any less convoluted than the other, so I’ll start with Klaus.” Grayson said, sighing as he flipped back several pages. “Niklaus Mikaelson is the only _known_ hybrid currently in existence. His mother, Esther, had an affair with a werewolf chief named Ansel, and he was the byproduct of the affair. Esther was also a witch, and she turned her children and husband, Mikael, into vampires as well as placed a binding curse on Klaus to keep his werewolf genes from coming to the surface. If Klaus can break the curse, he can create as many hybrids as he wants and potentially procreate on top of that. The issue comes in with the necessary ingredients for the ritual; it requires the caster, a witch of Klaus’ choosing due to his own magic being untapped and inaccessible due to his being a vampire, to channel the energy of the full moon through the Moonstone while Klaus sacrifices a vampire and a werewolf before drinking the blood of a Petrova doppelgänger to the point of death. Klaus tried this ritual in the late 1400s when Katherine was still a human by the name of Katerina Petrova, but she escaped and got herself turned into a vampire to avoid her fate. Klaus has been after her ever since for revenge.”

“Katherine’s a doppelgänger?” Damon asked, getting a nod in response.

“The two known lines of doppelgängers are the Petrovas and Salvatores, and the last known ones of each line, as far as anyone is aware, are Katherine and your brother. The deal that Klaus made with Jonathan came about when Katherine divulged details about her human life. As it turns out, she knew that she wouldn’t be the last doppelgänger in her line because she’d had a daughter out of wedlock who’d been taken from her less than a year before she became a vampire. With the Lockwoods being werewolves, the Bennett’s being witches, and there being no shortage of vampires for him to choose from when the next doppelgänger would come about, Klaus agreed to let Katherine, no matter how much it angered and sickened both Jonathan and himself, escape so long as the Gilberts continued to search for the Cure that Katherine mentioned as hearing about before she was banished from the Traveler witches due to her pregnancy. If Klaus had the Cure, then he could turn her human again. A human Katherine means that Klaus would leave the new doppelgänger be instead of killing an innocent young girl, and I need to make sure that this Cure is found in time to save her.” Grayson said, and Damon realized that there was more than a deal as old as he was behind Grayson’s words. “We have no way of knowing exactly what the Lockwoods did with the Moonstone once George got it from Katherine, but it’s only a matter of time before Klaus finds it and wants to do the ritual and break his curse once and for all. I can’t let her be his sacrifice, and neither can he.”

“You know the current doppelgänger.” it wasn’t a question, but Grayson answered anyway.

“My idiot little brother knocked up his girlfriend almost five years ago, when she was fifteen and he was seventeen, so Miranda and I agreed to take the baby when she was born. I started doing research into Isobel’s family for medical reasons, I’m a doctor after all, but I ended up tracing her back to Katherine and realized what the baby had the potential of being. I was able to find a picture of Katherine in the Mystic Falls archives just before the baby was born, and I kept it for comparison. When Elena was born, I took her to Sheila Bennett and asked her if I was right about what my daughter is, and Elena _is_ my daughter no matter whose genetics created her. Sheila had a vision of Elena as a teenager, and she confirmed what I’d feared; she looked almost identical to Katherine with the only notable exceptions being that Elena’s hair is straighter, and her hips are narrower due to not having birthed a child. The Augustine Society, a group of doctors trying to make vampires into weapons for humankind, were trying to recruit me at work, and I was terrified of what might happen if one of them ever saw my Elena and thought she was Katherine; my little girl being tortured because of being a doppelgänger, it’s still something I can’t bring myself to think about too much. Miranda and I weren’t sure what to do at first, but then a job offer came in from New York Presbyterian Hospital. Between the money we both inherited from our parents, one of the few things not to hate about being a Founding Family and Founding Family Adjacent, we were able to get this place and supplement our income by renting out the Mystic Falls house; I managed to track down Elijah once we’d settled, and he agreed that it was time to start trying to locate the Cure before Klaus realized the truth about Elena.” he explained.

“How did this lead you to me?” Damon wondered, and Grayson chuckled. “I’ll admit that Sheila is someone I’m on semi-good terms with, given that I’ve been the protector and benefactor of the Bennett line for almost a century and a half, but I don’t think that even she would recommend me to you.”

“Klaus knows about Elena, but since he’s known her almost from birth and has a vested interest in her life because she, like Katherine, is a direct descendant of the only child, a daughter, he had while human, he can’t bring himself to kill her, at least not while she’s this young and still doesn’t remind him of Katherine and her multiple betrayals. Klaus loves his family more than anything, even when they literally stab him in the back, and he takes pride in knowing each and every detail of all their lives. He and Elijah told me to find you because you, and I paraphrase what they told me, would be the first person to want Katherine Pierce dead once you knew what she’d told Jonathan and Klaus when asked why she tried to turn the ‘poor Salvatore boys’ and played them against one another.” the human said, and Damon tensed.

“What did she say?” he asked, an idea of the answer already in mind.

“She said, and I quote, ‘It was never about their money, of that I can assure you. If anything, it was about Stefan being a doppelgänger like me. After all, he and I are fated to fall for one in one lifetime after the next, aren't we? With Damon, it was more about the physical aspect of our relationship. He had more experience than Stefan, so it made our nights much more enjoyable than the ones I shared with Stefan, but the passion was never quite the same. Damon should not turn, should I get away as planned, but Stefan would most definitely be coming along with me on my travels. I only gave Damon my blood because I got a touch too physical with him this last time and left marks. I could not allow for anyone, especially Stefan, to have seen the marks; it just would not do.’” Grayson told him, and Damon closed his eyes.

“Saint Stefan is at it again, and I’m the afterthought.” he said as he downed the last of the blood in the wine glass. “No surprise there.”

“Now that you’ve finished that drink, would you like something stronger?” Grayson offered, and Damon pursed his lips before responding.

“If you’re offering, which it appears you are, sure. I feel like I’m going to need it for the rest of this conversation.” he said, and Grayson made short work of washing the wine glass before pouring Damon a bourbon as well. “What all do you know about this Cure?”

“So far, we know very little. Elijah is doing research with some help from Klaus, though he’s a bit of a recluse at times and usually only comes around when Elena starts asking for him, and I’m going over every bit of information Katherine gave to Jonathan so see what I might be able to figure out myself. The part that we figured that you would be the most help with is a little more, shall we say, personal.” Grayson said as he sat back down on the sofa.

“You need me to play bodyguard for your daughter because, let me guess, _my_ idiot little brother is a doppelgänger bound to be attracted to her and be drawn in if he gets too close. In addition to that, with him being a Ripper, he’d probably be a greater danger to her than even he realizes because, if he wasn’t in complete control of his bloodlust, he’d kill her before Klaus could and would only end up making Klaus angrier than he is with Katherine.” Damon said after taking a long drink from the glass Grayson had handed him. “Sounds fun.”

“It’s not just Stefan we’re talking about, Damon, but the Petrovas as well. I already said that during her interrogation, which Klaus compelled her to forget, Katherine mentioned having birthed a daughter. Klaus responded by saying that he’d met Nadia, who’d become a vampire not long after having her own child, and that she’s just as eager to meet and prove herself to her mother as he is to end his curse. If Nadia finds or found Katherine, I have no doubt that she would come for Elena if Katherine asked her to do so. Additionally, as she gets older, I fear vampires mistaking her for Katherine and coming after her seeking revenge. I wouldn’t even put it completely past Katherine herself to seek Elena out at some point. Elijah and Klaus suggested you not only because they believe that you would be willing to fight Katherine but also because they see you as being one of the strongest non-Original vampires in the world despite there being plenty that are older than you who should be stronger.” Grayson said, but Damon didn’t get the chance to answer as the library door opened and a small girl stepped into the room.

Her dark hair fell past her shoulders, and her olive skin was a stark contrast to the pale blue of her pajamas. The girl started to make her way over to Grayson when she stopped, having caught sight of Damon, and turned to face the vampire with a curious expression on her face. Damon saw her eyes and knew then that, no matter how much she would one day look like Katherine Pierce, this girl would never have the same coldness in her deep brown eyes that her ancestor’s held. He would make sure of it.

Twelve years later, Damon found himself being woken up in the middle of the night by those same eyes. He had moved in with the Gilberts not long after that initial meeting with Grayson, just long enough for him to burn through his surface-level hatred of Katherine and her multiple betrayals, and he had quickly formed a bond with Elena that he hadn’t been expecting. He was close with Jeremy as well, but there was a pull between Elena and Damon that the vampire neither understood nor wanted to change. She was nothing like her ancestor in personality, at least not in the sense of being heartless and cruel; sometimes, Damon thought he saw a glimmer of Katherine’s sneakiness in the girl, like when she conned him into staying up late to watch movies and eat ice cream on a school night, but Elena was seemingly incapable of doing something that she knew would bring harm to another living creature. For all that Katherine had been willing to sell out her supposed friends and see them burn to death in Fell’s Church, Elena couldn't even force herself to deal with the random spider that found its way into her room; Damon would gladly deal with spiders for her for the rest of her life if it meant she stayed the same gentle, sweet, kind-hearted person she’d always been.

Elena also lacked a proper fear response, as far as Damon was concerned, as she made it clear that her favorite place to be was wherever he was, even if he was feeding; her comfort levels with blood frightened him early on, but he’d learned to quit trying to make her leave him alone while he was feeding after the incident where she had told him to drink the blood that had been poured from a bag into a wine glass in front of her unless he wanted her to slice her wrist open and have him drink directly from her. They’d fought before she’d gone for the knife, her arguing that his reasoning was invalidated by the fact that she had to drink from him after an accident she’d had six years previously that hadn’t shown its consequences until after she’d turned twelve, and him arguing that she didn’t need to see what he could become while feeding. Damon hadn’t taken her threats seriously, shooing her from the room once more, and she’d gone through with pulling the sharp blade across her thin wrist right in front of him; since Elena didn’t heal properly after the accident she’d brought up in her argument, Damon had had little choice but to bite into his own wrist and have her drink his blood to heal the wound. That had been the night of Elena’s fourteenth birthday, and she’d known since she was twelve that Damon was a vampire. He _had_ expected her to distance herself from him when she’d found out, but Elena hadn’t let this break the bond between them one bit. If anything, knowing that Damon was a protector who couldn’t be easily hurt had brought them closer as he became the only one she sought out when the nightmares struck. She felt safe with him, and Damon couldn’t fault her for wanting safety after the types of things she saw in her nightmares.

Though she wasn’t a full witch by far, Elena was able to tap into some of her ancestral magic by way of the occasional vision that took over her dreams; they assumed that, as part of the Travelers Curse that had come up in Katherine’s interrogation by Jonathan Gilbert and Klaus, the visions were purposefully uncharacteristic of traditional magic by only ever showing Elena bad things in her future. On nights when such visions occurred, it was considered routine for Damon to wake with the feeling of her eyes trained on him; seeing those dark, pleading eyes filled with so much fear had him awake and alert every time. Without fail, Damon would shift slightly in his bed and motion for her to join him, and she would curl into his side before telling him what she had seen this time. Her vampire protector put her fears to rest each and every time, and she trusted him to keep her safe from things that go bump in the night for as long as she needed protecting. This night was no different. He held her in his arms, her head on his chest as she listened to his steady, vampire heartbeat, gently massaging circles into her back while she fiddled with the neckline of his t-shirt in order to calm herself down before she could start explaining her nightmare.

“You wouldn’t leave me if something happened to my mom and dad, would you, Damon?” she asked him quietly after a few minutes had passed. “If they died, you wouldn’t decide that you’d done your job and move on with your life?”

“Elena, sweetheart, no, I’d never leave you just because something happened to Miranda and Grayson, and it would be kinda difficult for me to ‘move on’ with my life given that you are and have been my life for twelve years.” he answered, using the hand that wasn't on the small of her back to gently stroke her hair. “Is there a reason you felt it necessary to ask? What’s brought this on all of a sudden?”

“I had a dream where Jeremy and I started going to school in Mystic Falls, living with Aunt Jenna because Mom and Dad were dead, and a guy at school introduced himself to me as Stefan Salvatore and asked if I could show him around town since he was new. Since I was at school, you weren’t there, and I didn’t know if you were in Mystic Falls with us at all.” Elena told him, and Damon pulled her closer, knowing that his brother attacking them was the one thing that truly scared Elena. “He looked like the pictures you showed me and everything; please don't leave me.”

“I'll never leave you so long as I have a choice, Elena, and, if my brother coming into our lives were to somehow become a reality, sweetheart, I wouldn’t let him get a hand on you.” he promised. “Protecting you from big bad vampires is what I’m here for, even ones like Saint Stefan, and I think I do a pretty good job at it. Don’t you?”

“You’re an amazing protector, Damon.” Elena said, a soft smile gracing her lips. “You’re pretty much everything your name implies.”

“Only for you, sweetheart, only for you.” Damon told her, but he felt his own mouth twisting into a smile as he stared back at her. “Get some sleep, Elena; it’s still a school night.”

She closed her eyes and snuggled as close to his body as she could manage, and he made sure to keep his arms wrapped around her midsection. There were nights where the nightmares returned each time Elena drifted off, and he had learned to ensure that she would feel safe when she woke up by making sure that she woke beside him. He hadn’t had a female in his bed who wasn’t Elena in the entire twelve years he’d lived in the Gilbert home, but he didn’t mind this if it meant he could always be there to chase away the fear her nightmares brought. He would be her protector, her savior for as long as she needed. It’s what a person does for someone they love, and Damon had no doubts that he loved Elena more than anything. He just hoped that, one day, she might love him too.


	2. Vita Post Te

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "All that I'm after is a life full of laughter/As long as I'm laughin' with you/I'm thinkin' that all that still matters is love ever after/After the life we've been through/'Cause I know there's no life after you..."  
> -"Life After You," by Daughtry

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: For anyone who's read my other works, you know the drill. Chapter summaries are usually song lyrics, and any music mentioned in the chapter is likely a direct influence on the writing process. Enjoy, sweets!

At sixteen years old, Elena Gilbert was aware of many things about the world that the average person would never be able to dream up even if their life depended on it. While a significant number of the kids she’d gone to school with her entire school career had nannies and au pairs who took care of them while their parents worked and attended social functions, Elena had an immortal hundred-and-sixty-nine-year-old vampire frozen at age twenty-five as her bodyguard/best friend/personal chef/chauffeur/teddy bear/dreamcatcher/and whatever else she needed Damon to be. While most of her classmates could trace their origins back to European aristocrats and wealthy landowners, Elena could trace her roots back to the earliest witches, vampires, and werewolves. Though she never considered herself to be normal, but she did like to think of herself as normal _enough_. Thus, she was perplexed when her homeroom/English teacher asked her to stay after school the day after her nightmare involving Damon’s little brother. As far as she was aware, she hadn’t done anything wrong or against school policy, so whatever Mrs. Grimaldi needed to speak with her about was beyond her comprehension.

“Did I do something to get myself in trouble?” she asked when she stepped into the classroom after the final bell had rang.

“I don’t know that it’s anything you’ve done yourself, Elena, but I was wondering how long you’ve known the man I’ve seen dropping you off and picking you up from school?” her teacher asked in reply, and Elena groaned.

“Look, I know that pretty much every heterosexual female over the age of fourteen takes one look at Damon and sees sex on legs, but he’s not interested in starting any new relationships and wants to be left alone.” she replied, but her teacher shook her head.

“No, I wasn’t asking about him because I’m interested in dating him, Elena, but rather because I was curious as to whether you know what he is, what he does to girls just like you.” Mrs. Grimaldi told her with a look of concern, and Elena snorted.

“This is going to end up being about one of two things. Either you think Damon’s some sort of pedophile, which he’s not, or you’d be interested in knowing that my [locket](https://i.pinimg.com/originals/b8/89/60/b8896008bc396b2c4cc99103527b5d09.jpg) contains three dried vervain sprigs at all times to keep me safe from people out there who do want to hurt me, but Damon’s still not that guy.” she said, and her teacher gave a short nod.

“If he’s who I think he is, Mr. Salvatore’s reputation precedes him, and he’s probably the most dangerous person you could’ve come into contact with even while wearing vervain.” the teacher said, but Elena chuckled.

“Elijah Mikaelson gave me this locket for my fourteenth birthday, and it has a pair of matching earrings that I got from his brother, Klaus, the same year. I appreciate your concern, and I’m going to assume that you’re a witch because Damon would’ve sniffed out any Eau de Wolf by now, but there’s nothing to worry about concerning my relationship with him.” the teenager assured her teacher, and the woman raised an eyebrow at her.

“Are you aware that you’re bonded to him? That, should you ever turn, you would spend your immortal years entirely devoted to him and doing whatever you had to do to make him happy without expecting anything in return?” she asked, and the girl rolled her eyes.

“A sire bond can’t be formed before turning, and I’m still very human, so what kind of bond would exist between us?” Elena asked, not expecting her teacher to chuckle.

“This could be a little more complicated to explain, and it shouldn’t be done in such a public setting. Will your parents be home this evening?” she asked, and Elena nodded. “Great, let them know that I’ll be by around eight-thirty to discuss severing the bond between you, them, and Mr. Salvatore.”

Elena relayed Mrs. Grimaldi’s message to her parents and Damon when she got home that afternoon, and she went up to her room to start on her homework before any of the three could form a response. Damon waited for an hour before he knocked on her door. When the door swung open, he stepped inside her room and kicked it closed behind him while pulling Elena into his arms. Her eyes were red and puffy, and her breathing was still slightly labored from crying.

“Sweetheart, whatever’s going on, I’m sure it’ll be okay. Whatever type of bond your teacher the witch seems to think exists between you and me, it can’t be bad because I still can’t see me allowing myself to hurt you. I turned Isobel over to Lexi last year because I couldn’t stand doing that to you, so whatever it is, we’ll be okay.” Damon said soothingly as he held her close.

“I’m not worried about whatever sort of bond we have; I’m pissed off at what she said about you! She told me that she just wanted to make sure I was aware of what you do to girls like me. Damon, not only have you not had sex since you moved in here, but you haven’t fed from the vein in twelve years, so why does everything supernatural that gets within a hundred yards of us seem to think that you’re about to fall off the proverbial wagon and sink your fangs into me while I sleep? You’re not the Salvatore with control issues!” Elena replied, sobbing angrily into his chest.

“Okay, wow, I’m feeling very offended by this witch, who I haven’t even met, making assumptions about how I live my life. Not only would I _never_ hurt you, Elena, but I also never took any victims underage or against their will when I was still drinking from the vein. Hell, I think we both know that you’ve fed from the vein more often than I have since I moved in here.” Damon replied, smirking slightly as Elena raised her eyes to meet his.

“I’d feed a little less on the vein if you’d just use Neosporin and Band-Aids for my cuts and scrapes instead of biting into your wrist.” she told him, and he chuckled.

“You haven’t had a minor scrape or cut in twelve years, Elena, and two of the times you’ve had to drink my blood came about from what might as well be labeled as being self-inflicted injuries.” Damon said, and she rolled her eyes.

“They weren’t technically self-inflicted. The time I fell down the stairs was an accident, and that time with the knife was because Uncle Elijah said that the only way for me to get you to realize that I’m not a little girl anymore would be to do something drastic.” Elena retorted, and he shook his head at her while smiling.

“And what did we learn from that? Under no circumstances is Elijah Mikaelson’s advice to be taken when there’s another way.” he said, and she giggled.

“His advice worked, though, didn’t it?” she asked, and he playfully narrowed his eyes at her while still smiling.

“You about gave me a heart attack that night, Elena, but it did work.” he admitted before glancing overtop her head at the homework spread out across her bed. “How much you got left?”

“Everything due tomorrow is done, but I’ve still got a few things due on Monday.” she replied. “Why?”

“You need to destress before your teacher gets here, and since she’ll be here right after dinner, we need to get started now. C’mon.” he said before taking her by the arm and leading her into the den area that connected their bedrooms.

Elena giggled as he dropped her hand long enough to vamp over to the stereo and start whatever was the last CD they’d left in the thing. The sound of Billy Joel’s voice filled the room moments later, and Damon was standing in front of her with his left hand extended towards her. She placed her right hand in his left and fell into the familiar closed position hold of the foxtrot; of all the things Damon currently was or ever had been for Elena, him being her dance instructor would always rank near the top of the list for her.

True to the dance’s form, the pair glided across the smooth wooden floors of the den as the music played. Damon could feel the tension leaving Elena as they danced, and he watched the way her face lit up as he began singing along with the song. It was one of her favorites, and he knew that when he’d picked the music for their dance.

“And when she's walking/She's looking so fine/And when she's talking/She'll say that she's mine/She'll say I'm not so tough/Just because/I'm in love/With an uptown girl/She's been living in her white bread world/As long as anyone with hot blood can/And now she's looking for a downtown man/That's what I am…” he sang, and Elena’s voice joined his when he reached the chorus.

“Uptown girl/She's my uptown girl/You know I'm in love/With an uptown girl/My uptown girl/You know I'm in love/With an uptown girl/My uptown girl/You know I'm in love/With an uptown girl/My uptown girl/You know I'm in love/With an uptown girl…” they sang, both of them smiling and laughing as their foxtrot came to an end.

“You know, Damon, I can still remember the first time I ever heard this song.” Elena said, a soft smile on her face. “When I was eight and Jeremy was six, he had strep throat, so Mom and Dad had you take me to the beach house in Atlantic Beach a couple of days early so that I wouldn’t be around Jeremy while he was still contagious. We were in the Camaro, making that ten-hour drive from New York to North Carolina in way less time than we should have, and I actually got you to put the top down when we were driving down Highway 17. You turned the radio on, and the last notes of ‘Livin’ on a Prayer’ were playing just before this started. I was about to change the station when you stopped me and told me that I’d love it if I gave it a chance. You were right.”

“Eight years later, and here we are doing a foxtrot to that same song.” Damon said, dropping a kiss onto her hair. “And I’m still right.”

“You’re arrogant, but yes.” she responded, and he chuckled.

“Sweetheart, only you can get away with calling a vampire arrogant to his face.” he told her, and she shrugged.

“Maybe, or maybe I can get away with calling _you_ arrogant to your face, vampire or no.” she replied, and his expression showed that he agreed with her words even as he vamped over to the stereo to change out CDs before bringing Elena in close for another dance.

Damon heard the whirling of the elevator’s mechanics not long after dinner. He alerted Grayson and Miranda, the former of which went into the foyer to greet their guest while the latter went with Jeremy, Elena, and Damon himself into the living room. Grayson joined them a few minutes later with Elena’s teacher. Alessia Grimaldi reminded Damon startlingly of his father’s second wife. His stepmother hadn’t been around long when all hell had broken loose in Mystic Falls thanks to Katherine, but Gioia Salvatore had been a wonderful woman all the same. She had known about his and Stefan’s fate, and it had been her idea to have him return to town after twenty years as his own illegitimate son to claim the rights to the Salvatore family fortune; the fact that it had been her idea was the only reason his half-brother, Emiliano, hadn’t put up a fight to stop him from taking over the family finances. Seeing the woman standing beside Grayson, the vampire felt the desire to run up to his bedroom and find the most recent copy of his family tree that he had just to be sure if this woman was somehow related to Gioia and, therefore, himself.

She sat down in an armchair facing the Gilberts and Damon, and the vampire couldn’t help but notice the way her golden-brown curls framed her face in a manner which would’ve come off as innocent and sweet if her dark eyes weren’t quite so cutting when she looked back at him. The more he thought about it, the more he became convinced that she was one of his many-times-great-nieces and had likely been told his history by Zach, the Salvatore still living in Mystic Falls at the Salvatore Boarding House. He and Zach had never really gotten along, though he mostly chalked it up to his nephew being significantly more like Giuseppe, Damon and Stefan’s father, that he was like Damon or Gioia, so it wouldn’t surprise him if Zach had been bad mouthing him to whatever else remained of their family.

“Thank you for allowing me into your home to discuss this with you.” the witch began, tearing her eyes away from Damon to focus on Grayson and Miranda. “Once I realized that you’re the Gilberts from Mystic Falls, it didn’t take long for me to figure out that it was impossible for you to not know what he is and what he could do, but I’ve never been able to read a bond like the one Damon shares with your daughter. It’s… _interesting_ to say the least.”

“We’ve never been afraid that Damon would hurt Elena, he’s just as much family at this point as Klaus and Elijah Mikaelson, but what sort of bond are we talking about here?” Grayson asked at the same time Damon let out a slight snort of laughter as he finally placed the cold expression that crossed Alessia’s face each time she looked at him.

“Sorry, Grayson, but you don’t have to tell _Lessie_ about me being family. Zach’s told her enough for her to form an opinion all her own without our input.” Damon said without breaking the eye-contact he held with Alessia. “You look so much like Amalia when you make that face.”

“What’s going on, and who’s Amalia?” Miranda asked, and Elena’s eyes widened.

“She’s one of your nieces, isn’t she?” she asked Damon, and he nodded.

“I was twelve, only just, when my mother was sent to the asylum after her consumption diagnosis, Stefan was almost five, and my father waited the acceptable amount of time after her death nearly ten years later before remarrying. Gioia, my stepmother, was an Italian witch who knew what Stefan and I were almost as soon as we did; she didn’t even blame Stefan for completing his transition by draining our father of all his blood. She blamed herself, saying she’d have figured Katherine out a lot sooner had she been able to spend more time with us after Giuseppe brought the bitch into the house. Gioia was on bedrest at the time because of the fainting spells she suffered from while pregnant with my half-brother and half-sister. Amalia and Emiliano, or Mia and Milo as I called them, had as normal of lives as the children of a widowed nineteenth century witch and half-siblings of vampires could have ever had, and they went on to have families of their own. While I might not have made contact with those who lived outside of Mystic Falls very often, I still kept tabs on who is and isn’t part of the Salvatore bloodline. Last I’d heard about Lessie was that she’d come into her powers as the first witch in the family in a couple of generations.” the vampire explained, and the witch rolled her eyes.

“Was that before or after the massacre at the boarding house fourteen years ago, _Uncle_?” Alessia sneered, but she was taken aback by the look on Damon’s face. “Did you tell everyone about that bit of Salvatore family history?”

“I haven’t been to the boarding house since 1992, and even then all I did was stop in for the night. Zach was the only one there that night, and we hardly said two words to one another the whole time I was there. The next morning, I had tea with Sheila Bennett before leaving for Italy to see Mia, and I stayed there until I came to New York in the late summer of 1996.” the vampire said, and the witch’s eyes went wide.

“Zach has pictures of you at this party in ‘94, Damon, and you killed his pregnant girlfriend in front of Stefan.” Alessia stated, but Damon shook his head. “Plus, Mia’s been dead for over a hundred years by now, she died in childbirth, so how could you have been with her?”

“Gioia asked me to be there when Mia had her baby, and Mia asked me to feed her my blood in case she didn’t survive since it had been a rough pregnancy from the start. She had her reasons for asking this of me, but they’re not mine to share, so I won’t be telling you that; forget about asking me. She did die, but she died with my blood in her system and ended up killing a nurse when she came to after waking up in transition. I took the three of them to Italy when little Teresa was all of five-years-old, and Gioia told everyone that they were both her daughters. Teresa found out the truth when she was older, and she didn’t take it well. So, doing what any parent or loving relative would do, Mia took the pain away by compelling her own daughter to forget her, to believe that she had died in childbirth and left Teresa to be raised by her grandmother. Mia is very much so still alive, and Stefan knows because he joined us the year we spent Christmas in Paris.” Damon explained, and Miranda let out a short gasp before getting up and disappearing into the library for a few moments and then returning with a piece of paper in her hands.

“You said this happened in 1994?” she asked, and Alessia nodded, prompting Mirada to continue. “Elena was two at the time, and she was having vivid nightmares almost nightly. We took her to a child psychologist, and she drew pictures of what she was seeing. This one, from what Elena told the psychiatrist, is of a woman called Kat who bit a man and a woman called Lucy who said some funny words to make the man Kat bit look like someone else, someone else with black hair and blue eyes. Knowing now what I do, I’d be willing to bet that she had a vision of Katherine Pierce instructing a witch named Lucy to charm a freshly turned vampire into Damon to do her bidding by wreaking havoc in Mystic Falls.”

“I thought my visions were only about bad things happening to me?” Elena asked, seeing where her mother was going.

“In a way, this still is, Elena.” Alessia said as she looked at the drawing Miranda had brought out, and Elena furrowed her brow in confusion.

“Huh?” she asked.

“The bond you share with Damon, the reason I initially came here to ask your parents to allow me to break it, is a soulmates bond. It’s got a much longer name in Latin, but that’s what it is when you get down to it.” the witch said, unable to stop herself from smiling as she continued explaining. “Damon was drawn to Mystic Falls in 1992, that June if I’m guessing correctly, because you were born, Elena, and he was drawn here four years later because this is where you were. Soulmates consider the other half of the bond to be an extension of themselves, and this happens subconsciously. Because you’ve always seen Damon as part of you, even before you knew him, negative impacts on his future are negative impacts on yours as well.”

“Did you want to break the bond because you think of Damon as a bloodthirsty monster incapable of love, as someone who would sooner tear out my throat than spend twelve years feeding off blood bags my dad brings home from the hospital, and as the type of guy who has a different girl in his bed every night?” Elena asked as she reflexively inched closer to Damon the longer Alessia refused to meet her eyes, and her voice was nearing the Katherine levels of cold that worried Damon whenever she used them. “Do you know that not one of those things is true, that Damon hasn’t fed from the vein in twelve years, that he’s only ever allowed one girl into his bed in all the years he’s lived here, that being me, and that it wasn’t for sex?”

“I’ll admit, I believed the first part and had no idea about the second. Because I believed it, that was a significant part of my reasoning. Additionally, I was concerned because for a bond like this to be formed means that one or both of you have a history with soul magic because the average human soul cannot extend itself beyond the body or connect itself so wholly to another person.” she finally answered, and Damon looked over at Grayson and Miranda with a resigned expression. “Soul magic is dangerous and should only ever be practiced by the most powerful of witches. I was curious as to what sort of witches you all have been consorting with for this bond to exist.”

“Okay, I was following the conversation until just now. What’s going on that you guys aren’t telling us?” Jeremy asked his parents and Damon, all three of whom sighed.

“We were planning on having this conversation when you were both a few years older, but I guess we’re having it now.” Grayson said, turning his attention to his daughter. “Honey, remember how we told you when you started having visions again a few years ago that you’re adopted?”

“Of course, Dad, as it’s not every day that you find out that most of your life has been a lie, your uncle is actually your birth father while your birth uncle is your dad, your surrogate uncle is actually your thirty-second great-uncle, his brother who’s always managed to show up when you ask him to no matter how short-notice the request is made is your thirty-second great-grandfather, and your best friend is a vampire from the Civil War who was turned by your evil and psychotic sixteen-times great-grandmother with whom you happen to share a face.” Elena said, and everyone chuckled at her word choice.

“What we didn’t tell you, though it’s not as though we left out a lot, is that your physical similarities to Katherine were never a coincidence.” Damon took over, silently praying that she would take this news better than she’d taken the news of her adoption. “Elena, you’re something known as a doppelgänger, and so is she.”

“What _is_ a doppelgänger, Damon?” Elena asked calmly, but Damon knew that he was treading in dangerous territory at this point.

“Well, th-” Grayson begun to explain, but Elena held up a hand to silence him.

“Dad, I asked Damon.” she said shortly, her eyes never leaving those of the vampire beside her. “What am I?”

“A doppelgänger is often called a Mortal Shadow Self, and they were created by Nature, the source of a witch’s power, thousands of years ago when a Traveler witch named Qetsiyah crafted the elixir of immortality to share with her supposed true love, a male Traveler witch named Silas, who stole the potion and used it instead with a handmaiden named Amara. Because they couldn’t die, the balance was upset. The only logical solution that Nature could come up with was to have identical versions of Silas and Amara be reborn through their lines so that they can die thousands of times over for their crime of upsetting the natural order of life and death. After essentially being jilted at the altar, Qetsiyah suffered what would now be termed as a nervous breakdown and decided to create the Cure for immortality and found a way to imprison both Silas and Amara when Silas refused to take the Cure and live her happily ever after fantasy. From what Elijah, Klaus, your dad, and me have been able to find in our research, Amara and Silas both had siblings whose offspring descended down to Katherine, Stefan, and you. There is a misconception that the doppelgängers are soulmates because Silas and Amara were said to be soulmates, but Elijah got confirmation for us that this isn’t true. Another witch community cursed the Travelers, which you sorta already know, for what Qetsiyah, Silas, and Amara had done, and the only way to break the curse is to bring together the blood of both doppelgänger lines; the myth comes from a spell that a Traveler witch named Markos cast to draw all of the potential future doppelgängers together so that it would be more convenient for taking their blood to break the curse. Your blood can also be used to break the curse that Esther put on Klaus to bind his hybridness, but he doesn’t want to use your blood because he doesn’t want to kill you. He loves you very much and, as it turns out, even Originals have feelings.” Damon said, and Elena let out a breath and nodded.

“At least I know what I am now. It’s a lot to take in, but knowing that I’m not destined to be with Stefan does make me feel a bit better about not being quite human.” she said, but Damon lightly grabbed her chin and forced her to return her gaze to his own.

“I didn’t answer your question about what you are, Elena.” he told her. “I answered your first question of what is a doppelgänger.”

“Same thing, Damon.” she replied. “I’m a doppelgänger just like you’re a vampire.”

“Oh, is that all I am? I’m nothing more than _just_ a vampire?” he asked, and she narrowed her eyes and shook her head.

“No, of course you’re not _just_ a vampire.” Elena responded, falling for his bait. “Damon, you’re my best friend, my protector. You are so much more than just a vampire, and the fact that you have to drink blood to survive doesn’t define yo- Oh, wow, I see what you did there.”

“Being a doppelgänger shouldn’t define you, either, Elena, so don’t act like you’ve got some great big destiny out there waiting for you because a coven of ancient witches wants you to believe it.” Damon said, and she nodded as he let go of her chin.

“How does this relate back to soul magic?” Alessia asked, drawing everyone’s attention.

“I’ve gotta agree, because now I’m lost again.” Jeremy added.

“The potion used by Silas and Amara, from all the records that Elijah could find, created their immortality by binding their souls together; it was so powerful that all historical records we’ve found indicate that, should they be released from their prisons, neither Silas nor Amara would stop until one found the other, and they would gladly kill anyone who stood in the way of their reunion. It goes along with the idea of a couple getting married becoming two halves of a single whole, which is fitting since Silas and Qetsiyah were supposed to drink the potion at their wedding, and all doppelgängers, as a shadow or impression of Silas and Amara, are affected by soul magic. The spell Markos cast is the only thing known to tamper with this, as the magically-induced draw to one another between the two doppelgängers has to override their souls’ very will.” Grayson said, and Alessia nodded slowly. “I couldn’t even begin to imagine what a soulmate bond would do in reaction to the spell.”

“If anything, it should make Elena immune to the spell’s effects because, before the bond is solidified, the spell’s goal can never be achieved unless the bond is somehow broken.” she noted, her head tilting to the side as she observed the pair. “Given the strength it has already with the time that Damon and Elena have spent together, once the bond is solidified, usually in a special binding ceremony performed by a witch of high standing, it’s sort of like a wedding, I doubt anything could break it.”

Alessia stayed for a while longer, and it had been decided that Elena and Damon would have the final say on if they ever had the bond solidified. With all she had learned weighing on her mind that night, Elena found sleep eluding her. She wrote her thoughts down in her diary, making sure to leave a note stating that she knew Damon had a habit of reading through her entries while she was at school, but she still couldn’t sleep. As she was putting her diary back in its hiding place, she heard her bedroom door open.

“You, too, huh?” Damon asked as she turned to see him leaning against the door frame.

“Yep, me too.” Elena replied, and Damon stepped into the room.

“We don’t have to do this, Elena.” he told her. “You’re sixteen, and you haven’t even begun to live your life.”

“What life?” she threw back with a snort. “Damon, I have no friends who actually live around here, just Caroline in Mystic Falls and a few acquaintances at school, and I don’t go to a lot of parties because I’d rather be here eating junk food and playing video games with you and Jeremy on a Saturday night. Besides, what if this is exactly what I want?”

“Is it?” he asked, and she turned towards him with a half-smile on her face.

“You know me just as well if not better than I do, so you tell me.” Elena responded. “What do you think I want?”

“You read books and watch movies that always features the two main characters caught up in the midst of an epic, whirlwind romance; you want the happily ever after that you read about, but you also want the happily ever after you see every day with your parents, the happiness, the joy, and the simplicity of pure, genuine love. You want a love that consumes you. You want passion and adventure, and even a little danger...am I right?” Damon told her with a soft smirk, and she shrugged.

“You got most of the things on my list, I’ll give you that much. But, you still managed to miss the most important item, Damon.” she said, and he raised an eyebrow at her.

“C’mon, what could I’ve missed?” he asked rhetorically, and she giggled.

“For someone as intelligent as you are, I still find myself surprised by your willful blindness to what’s right in front of you.” she said, crossing the room to stand directly in front of him. “What I want most in this world, Damon Francesco Salvatore, is you. It’s _always_ been you.”

“Elena…” he began, trying to formulate a response that just wouldn’t come together.

“Don’t you go and ‘Elena’ me. Damon, you want to talk to me about an all-consuming love, then talk to me about how you’re the first thing I think about when I wake up and the last thing I think about before I go to sleep; talk to me about how, despite me being visibly upset when I told you all that Alessia was coming over after dinner, you were the one who came upstairs to check on me instead of my parents; or talk to me about how my safe place isn’t my physical home but your arms. You can tell me that I’m just a kid who doesn’t know anything about love, that I shouldn’t settle down with one person for eternity at age sixteen, or even that I deserve better, but for the love of God, don’t you even think about telling me that you don’t love me just as much as I love you.” Elena told him, and the fire in her eyes surprised the vampire for a moment.

“I would never lie to you, Elena, and you know that just like you know that I love you more than any other person or thing on this planet. I just don’t want you to commit yourself to something that you’ll regret in the future.” Damon said, and Elena linked her arms behind his neck as she looked directly into his eyes.

“You are literally my other half, Damon, and I would regret not doing this, not having our bond solidified more than I could ever regret going through with it.” she said, and Damon found himself smiling as he returned and held her gaze.

“Okay.” he said, placing his hands on her hips. “If you’re sure, then we’ll do it.”

“We’ll tell my parents in the morning.” she said, smiling at him.

Damon moved his hands up to her waist, hesitant with her for the first time since she’d sliced open her wrist. He knew everything about Elena, and he knew that a complete lack of a social life meant that she hadn’t yet had her first kiss. If he was to be her first kiss, he wanted to make the moment as perfect as he could because perfect was what he felt she deserved. Slowly, he closed the slight distance between them and placed a soft, chaste kiss on her lips. Elena returned his kiss, and Damon chuckled when she let out a yawn once they’d broken apart.

“You need sleep.” he said, and she nodded.

“Stay?” she asked him, and he responded by gathering her in his arms bridal style and carrying her over to her bed where he set her down and covered her up before vamping over to the other side and getting under the covers beside her.

“Sweet dreams, Elena.” he said as she snuggled against his chest.


	3. Nam Cuncta Quae Numquam Moritur

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "Change the colors of the sky./And open up to/The ways you made me feel alive,/The ways I loved you./For all the things that never died,/To make it through the night,/Love will find you..."  
> -"What About Now," by Daughtry

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Enter the Mikaelsons...

None of the other three Gilberts were surprised by the decision Damon and Elena had made when they told them over breakfast the following morning. The first question Miranda asked was which witch would be asked to perform the ceremony. Damon was quick to respond and rule out his niece. While he cared for Alessia the way he cared for all of his siblings’ descendants, he didn’t trust her enough for something as important as Elena and his relationship with her. Instead, he suggested Sheila Bennett, to which Grayson agreed was a good idea before asking Damon to pass the salt. It was as if nothing had changed amongst them, and nothing really had once Elena allowed herself to think on it a bit.

She told Alessia that they had reached a decision while at school that day, and the witch gave her a small smile. She congratulated Elena and agreed that Sheila Bennett would be an excellent choice just as Grayson had done. Her day had been going well by the time the final bell rang, and she realized that it couldn’t go on without the inevitable bump in the road. She heard a group of girls in her grade whispering excitedly about someone as she stepped out of the school’s front doors, thought it was hardly a rare occurrence.

“Elena, do you know that guy over there? I swear, he just said your name to whoever he’s talking to on his phone.” one of the girls, Elena thought her name might’ve been Torrie, asked, and Elena looked up to see who the man in question was only to be greeted by the familiar, welcome sight of the elder of the two Mikaelson brothers she claimed as part of her family leaning against his most recent addition to his car collection, a Bentley, with his cellphone at his ear.

“That’s my uncle.” she said, smiling widely. “I didn’t realize he was back in town already, and I guess he asked to pick me up instead of Damon.”

“That’s your uncle?” the girl asked, and Elena nodded.

“He’s on my mother’s side of the family.” she answered as Elijah caught her eye and smiled. “I better go. Bye.”

“Bye, Elena!” the girl said with fake sweetness as Elena started towards the Bentley and the man standing beside it.

“Uncle Elijah, what’re you doing here?” she asked as she hurried over to the Original vampire and hugged him.

“Your brother’s birthday is Monday, and I haven’t missed a birthday for either of you yet.” Elijah answered, hugging her back.

“I’m glad you’re here. Damon and I have some news to share with you when we get home.” Elena said, and Elijah raised an eyebrow in interest.

“Then we shall waste little time getting there.” he said, opening the front passenger door of his Bentley for the giggling girl.

Elijah had been just as unsurprised by the most recent revelations and changes in the family as the Gilberts themselves; of course, Elena was fairly certain that Klaus had spoken to his brother after Elena had told her great-grandfather of her feelings for Damon the previous spring. Though he congratulated Damon and Elena on their bond, Elijah shifted the focus of the conversation back to Katherine having given another vampire Damon’s face. All of them were disturbed by this bit of information, the idea of her having a witch bound to her more than the rest, and Elijah had even taken the time to phone Klaus to inform him of it all. It was worrisome, for Elena, to wonder if this vampire had done anything else horrifying while pretending to be Damon.

“This is most disturbing, but I don’t think there is much cause for worry, my dear.” Elijah told Elena when she voiced these fears.

“Why?” she asked. “I wouldn’t want Damon getting blamed for anything else he didn’t do.”

“Elena, while I might not be able to practice magic the same way my mother did, I am still a witch by birth. Though I never tapped into my powers while human, I’ve done a lot of studying with nearly every magical text I’ve gotten my hands on during the past thousand or so years. I had another witch in New Orleans cast a spell that informs me whenever a vampire abuses their powers in a way that goes against any of our laws; though not one well-publicized because I never thought it needed to be to anyone other than my siblings and their direct progeny, purposefully causing havoc under the name of another vampire to cause them problems and potentially lead to their final death is punishable by a minimum fifty years desiccating in a magically sealed tomb in New Orleans designed specifically for such reasons. I remember getting an alert at the time this new vampire was posing as Damon, but there was never another alert after that. I would think it safe for us to assume that Katherine disposed of him once he’d finished the task she’d assigned.” he explained as he covered a batch of beignets in powdered sugar.

“Well, at least there’s that.” Damon mused as he grabbed a beignet and bit into it. “Mmm, amazing as always, Elijah.”

“Good. I’m still trying to outdo those damned hazelnut crème-filled zeppole you made the last time I was in town.” the Original responded with a laugh.

“Then you’ll be trying extra hard after I finish the pumpkin-ricotta ones I promised Jeremy for his birthday.” Damon said teasingly.

"You make those every year, and I always lose the fight because those damn things might as well be heroine with the way they taste!" Elijah responded with a frustrated laugh, and Damon smirked.

Elena giggled at their argument over who made the better donut-like pastries, and Damon looked over at her in mock-offense as she snatched the rest of the beignet from him. His expression only made her laugh harder, and her laughter was enough to make the blue-eyed vampire crack. Elijah couldn’t help but watch the way Damon began to smile as he heard Elena’s laughter.

“You think this is funny, princess?” Damon asked, and Elena nodded.

“Yes, I find two big, bad vampires arguing over baked goods to be extremely funny.” she confirmed as she ate the beignet she’d stolen from Damon.

“Elena, sweetheart?” Damon began.

“Yes?” Elena replied, feigning innocence.

“You have no self-preservation instinct at all, do you?” Damon asked, and Elena giggled once more before responding.

“Not around people I trust, no.” she said, kissing him lightly before getting up from the table and darting towards the back staircase in the breakfast room, and Elijah could only chuckle to himself as Damon chased after Elena moments later.

Almost four weeks later, Elena was splayed across Damon’s bed in a fit of giggles. The vampire himself was standing in front of a full-length mirror adjusting the cuffs of the white dress shirt that was a part of his Halloween costume. Damon rolled his eyes at her, but he couldn’t help but chuckle a bit himself. It had been Elena’s idea, so of course he’d agreed to it, for the both of them to dress up as vampires for the party that Elijah had conned them into attending.

“Shouldn’t you be getting ready, sweetheart?” Damon asked, and Elena sat up with a sigh.

“Probably, but I was having too much fun laughing at the irony of you being dressed as a Victorian vampire on the one day of the year where you can be anything other than yourself.” she said with a grin. “I’ll go get dressed, but I might need help when I get to lacing up the bodice.”

“Call me when you need me.” Damon said as she slipped out of his room, and he continued getting dressed as he listened for her call.

“Damon!” she cried just as he was pulling on his boots and coat, and he made his way over to her room only to freeze in the doorway when he saw her.

Elena looked into her mirror to see him behind her, and she frowned at his expression. He looked as though he’d seen a ghost, and it took Elena all of thirty seconds to realize why. Dressed in the Victorian-style costume, her hair slightly wavy from her having worn it in a braid all day at school and not having straightened it, she looked much more like the Katherine that Damon had known.

“I’m sorry, this was a stupid idea, I know. I have other costumes I can wear if that’ll help, and I can straighten my hair really quick if you can run into the bathroom and plug in my flat iron.” she told him, but he shook his head at her.

“Elena, don’t apologize. You look beautiful, and I was startled for a moment, but that was it. You’re her doppelgänger, and you’re going to look like her for years to come, but that doesn’t mean that you are her. Now that I’m past the initial shock, I can see a hundred percent that you are Elena Beth Gilbert-Mikaelson, my dark princess, and not Katerina Petrova, the she-devil incarnate.” Damon said as he crossed the room and began lacing up the ribbon that ran from the top of her dress to the small of her back.

“Your dark princess? I could get used to that one.” Elena mused, giggling lightly before turning to face Damon once his hands left the ribbon and settled on her hips. “If we're identical, how can you know who I am with just a look?”

“It’s your eyes, really, always your eyes. Yours don’t hold any of the cruelty, coldness, or hate that Katherine’s did.” he explained.

“So, that makes me the good twin, right?” she asked, and he nodded.

“Oh, definitely, and she’s totally the evil twin.” he said, pausing for a moment and rolling his eyes before continuing. “Elijah says we need to hurry up if we don’t want to be late. I’ll leave you to finish getting ready so that I can’t be accused of being the holdup this time.”

“I’ll be down in a few minutes.” Elena said with a smile, pressing a quick kiss to his lips before he vamped from the room.

True to her word, Elena joined Damon, Elijah, and Klaus downstairs just over five minutes later. Klaus, much like Damon and herself, had been coerced into going to the party by his brother who had used the excuse that if Klaus became any more of a recluse, finding the Cure and breaking his curse would be irrelevant. Elena beamed as she saw that the two of them had gone along with her costume idea without complaining…where she could hear it at the least.

“Well, it’s quite the coven we have here.” Grayson said as he and Miranda entered the room in their pirate costumes. “You guys look great.”

“Thanks, Dad.” Elena said, giggling. “You and Mom look great, too.”

“Geeze, did someone forget to give me the Last Century memo?” Jeremy asked as he joined them dressed as a doctor, Grayson’s own stethoscope around his neck.

“You just go to your party, have fun with your friends, and come home without _playing doctor_ with any nurses, young man.” Miranda teased, and Jeremy rolled his eyes good-naturedly at his mother’s remark.

“Mom, I’m only fourteen.” he said, getting chuckles out of Klaus and Elijah.

“My, how times have changed. Whatever came of that girl Mother wanted you to marry when you were young?” Elijah asked, and Klaus snorted.

“You mean Tatia, the same woman whose blood Mother used to curse me and turn us into Originals? You slept with her first, she picked you even after having birthed my daughter, and you killed her after you were turned.” Klaus responded, and Damon shook his head and chuckled at the thought that entered his mind. “We should just be lucky that you had enough control to not kill everyone around her, otherwise we wouldn’t have our youngest Mikaelson; I rather do happen to like Elena.”

“Sorry, just thinking of how twice is a coincidence, but three times is a pattern.” he said, smiling at Elena. “God, I’m glad I met you before Markos’ spell could draw you to Stefan; we really don’t need any further fighting between brothers over Petrova women.”

“That makes two of us.” Elena replied, kissing him lightly just as a light flashed, surprising them both.

“Sorry, but this is too cute to not take pictures.” Miranda apologized, snapping another picture before anyone could stop her.

Miranda took a few more pictures, including a group shot of the three vampires and doppelgänger, before all seven of them left the apartment for their respective parties. Elena was surprised to find that Elijah’s party was all the way across town in Chelsea; the club didn’t look like much from the outside, and definitely not what she would have thought Elijah would’ve picked, but, after a quick compulsion on the bouncer from Damon, Elena was quickly surprised once more when they got inside to see the elaborate and expensively decorated space that was much more suited to Elijah’s tastes. The music was loud, and the dancefloor was packed. Being there under the orange and purple lights, Elena couldn’t have been happier.

After a few dances with Damon, a dance each with Klaus and Elijah, and a couple of drinks, she excused herself to the ladies room for a moment. As she was washing her hands, she caught sight of a woman dressed as a fortune teller stepping up beside her and let out a light gasp. How had neither she nor Damon seen Alessia all night?

“I wasn’t expecting to see you here.” Elena remarked with a grin, and her teacher/boyfriend’s (many times) great-niece jumped in surprise.

“I wasn’t expecting to see you dressed like that.” Alessia replied, giggling. “Did Damon freak out when he first saw you?”

“He did for a minute, but he’s better now.” Elena told her.

“So, if you’re a vampire tonight, does that mean…” Alessia trailed off, but Elena laughed and nodded.

“Your uncle and two Originals are out there dressed like Victorian-era vampires too, yes.” she said, and the two women laughed together as they stepped out of the ladies room and headed towards where the three men in question were waiting: the bar.

As they got closer, Elena’s eyes narrowed into slits; Alessia followed her gaze to where a woman in a barely-there Red Riding Hood costume was attempting to flirt with Damon who, to his benefit, was ignoring her. Klaus looked like he was about to lose his composure and break into a fit of laughter at any given second; he was intrigued by the blonde woman’s inability to take the hint that she was being rejected, and he felt something akin to sympathy for Damon as Elijah whispered quietly enough that only a vampire would hear that Elena was ten feet away and closing. Damon chuckled into his drink before looking over at the woman trying to make herself his main focus.

“Look, I’m gonna be as nice as I can about this, but my girlfriend is walking over here and will end you if you don’t leave right now.” he said, but the blonde only smiled.

“Girlfriend? Like I haven’t heard that excuse befo-” she didn’t finish her statement as a hand clamped down on her shoulder and spun her around, forcing her to look into a pair of deep brown eyes that held little of their usual gentleness.

“It’s not an excuse, sweetie, and I’d get lost if I were you.” Elena told the woman in a cold voice that Damon, had he not seen Alessia beside her, would have thought was coming from Katherine and not his girlfriend.

“You gonna make me, little girl? I’m not even sure you’re old enough to be in here.” Red Riding Hood said, and Elena smirked.

“You know what, I think I _am_ gonna make you leave.” she said, making sure to maintain eye-contact with the woman as she spoke, her pupils restricting. “You’re going to go back out onto the dancefloor and party the night away, but you won’t make any further advances towards my boyfriend. Am I understood?”

“I’m going to go back out onto the dancefloor and party the night away, but I won’t make any further advances towards your boyfriend.” the blonde repeated in a monotone voice, and Elena released her hold on the woman.

“Good, now go.” she said, and the woman hurried off into the sea of dancing bodies.

“Did you just compel someone, Elena darling?” Elijah asked, and Elena nodded while smiling brightly. “Are you sure you’re not Katherine?”

“Positive.” she said, explaining herself. “I was doing some reading online the other day and came across one of my mother’s essays on vampires. Thanks to the accident I had about eight years ago, I have to feed on Damon’s blood every so often to prevent myself from bleeding out from something a small as a papercut. My body doesn’t heal on its own properly anymore because, potentially from our bond now that I know about it, Damon’s blood registered in my body as being the same a mine. My body thinks that his healing factor is supposed to be there and doesn’t do what it’s supposed to when I’m hurt because it thinks that I’m already healing. With as often as I feed, I’m potentially capable of using certain vampire powers, like compulsion and enhanced senses, if I actively try to use them; the more I feed, the more powers I can use. This was the first time I tried it, though, and I’ll admit to being a little shocked that it worked.”

“You’re a Mikaelson, love. You can do anything you put your mind to, and I think you’ll find other powers coming to you with ease.” Elijah said with a smile, and Elena smiled back.

“This probably also makes you not-human-enough for the ritual, so we’ll really need to double down on finding the Cure now.” Klaus said with a snicker, but Elena merely shrugged.

“You weren’t gonna kill me for the ritual anyway, Grand-Klaus, so why should I’ve worried about a death that won’t be at your hands?” she asked as Damon pulled her into his lap.

“I am so glad that Rebekah is joining us for Thanksgiving.” the Original Hybrid said, getting a snort of laughter from his brother. “I can’t wait for the two of you to meet.”

“She would’ve met her already if you hadn’t daggered our sister nearly ninety years ago, but at least she didn’t do the same to you when you woke her up six months back. Speaking of meeting new people, who might this be that you’ve brought with you, Elena?” Elijah asked, and Damon sighed dramatically and rolled his eyes.

“Elijah, Klaus, meet Alessia Grimaldi, my sister’s five-times great-granddaughter. Lessie, meet Elijah and Klaus Mikaelson, two of the Original six.” he introduced them.

“Actually, I’m back to Salvatore as of this afternoon; divorce shouldn’t take so much effort when neither party is fighting the terms.” Alessia said, getting a chuckle out of all four of them.

“Ah, so this is the brilliant little witch who brought it to our attention that dear Katherine was swapping people’s faces with yours and made you realize what everyone else knew about the two of you years ago.” Elijah said with a smile aimed at Alessia.

“Who is still my niece.” Damon reminded him, and Elijah rolled his eyes.

“Need I remind you that Elena’s called me Uncle Elijah since before she knew you?” he said, and Damon rolled his eyes. “Nevertheless, I merely hoped to discuss a bit of complex spellwork I found in a recently acquired grimoire.”

“I’d be happy to discuss spellwork with you, Elijah.” Alessia said, and Elena pulled Damon up and dragged him out to the dancefloor before he could get involved further.

“Leave it.” she told him as they danced to the sound of Alice Cooper’s “Teenage Frankenstein,” and Damon begrudgingly agreed.

Elena was still enjoying herself two hours into the party when she excused herself for another trip to the ladies room. On her way out, she found herself being yanked through the alley doors by unseen assailants. She felt her back hit the brick wall, pain rippling through her body, and she looked up to see two men standing before her.

“What do we ‘ave here, Henry?” one of them asked, his accent sounding vaguely French to the terrified teenager.

“It looks like we finally caught up with Miss Katherine after all, Edgar.” the other replied, his accent English, and Elena’s eyes went wide as she quickly began focusing on a power she knew little about and had only ever seen even Elijah use once or twice.

“Please, I know I look like her, but I’m not Katherine.” she said as she projected her thoughts to her boyfriend still inside the club. “I’m human; I have a regular heartbeat and everything.”

“We’ve been played one time too many to fall for that one. We can hear you heart, Katherine, and it isn’t exactly a human heartbeat.” said the first one with an amused expression. “Give us what you took, and we might let you live.”

“I didn’t take anything from you. I’m not Katherine.” Elena reiterated, but they didn’t listen.

“Give us the White Grimoire, or else.” the second commanded, and Elena did the only thing she could think to do.

“Damon!” she cried, and the alley door blasted open as three pissed off vampires and a rather angry looking witch stepped outside ready for a fight.

“Back to Salvatore again, I see.” Edgar noted.

“Is this one real or another mask like you put on that Tyson kid in ’94?” Henry asked, and Damon growled.

“Oh, I’m the real deal, buddy.” Damon said, vamping over and moving Elena behind him as he continued on by slowly punctuating each word he spoke. “She. Is. Not. Katherine. Pierce.”

“You’d say anything to protect this little thief!” Henry sneered, attempting to move around Damon only to find a hand around his forearm.

“While he would do anything to protect this girl, he is correct in saying that she isn’t Katherine Pierce, or, for that matter, Katerina Petrova.” Elijah said smoothly.

“And who are you? The other brother?” Henry asked, the predatory grin on Elijah’s face making his own smirk falter.

“Once upon a time, yes, yes I was. However, my brother and I worked past our issues related to Katherine and decided to work on bigger, better things. I bet you only thought we were legends and fairy stories for new vampires to scare them into behaving.” he said, taking his time to introduce himself as Klaus grabbed ahold of the other vampire attacker. “My name is Elijah Mikaelson, and this is my brother, Niklaus.”

“Damon, go. We’ll take care of these two and meet you guys at the apartment.” Klaus ordered, and Damon nodded.

“Lessie!” he called, and his niece hurried over with both hers and Elena’s purses on her shoulder.

Elena ended up sandwiched in the front seat of Damon’s Camaro on the ride home, but she didn’t mind. While Alessia called a friend that she’d been at the party with to let them know that she’d left with one of her other friends she’d ran into, Damon drove with one hand on the wheel and the other around Elena’s shoulders while she curled herself into his side. Once they were inside the apartment, he followed her into her bedroom where she broke down in his arms. All he could do was hold her and whisper reassuring statements as he massaged circles into the small of her back.

“You told me that this could happen, but I never expected it to happen like this.” she said when she’d finally calmed down.

“Princess, you’re safe now. Klaus and Elijah are taking care of it, and you know that they’re the two strongest vampires in the world, well, two out of three with Rebekah being awake now and all that.” he said, pressing a kiss to her hair before slowly untying the ribbon lacing up the back of her dress. “Now, not that I’ve ever worn one myself, but I have it on pretty good authority that these types of dresses are not comfortable to sleep in, so change into your pajamas and come to my room, okay?”

“Okay.” she said calling out to him as he reached her door. “Damon, wait.”

“Yes?” he replied.

“I love you.” she told him, and he smiled.

“I love you, too.” and then she was alone in her room.

By the time Elena had made it to his room, Damon had already called Grayson and Miranda to inform them of the night’s events, sent a message to Jeremy to wait for his parents to pick him up from the party because they didn’t want him walking home alone after what had happened with Elena since he also carried a bit of Damon’s scent on him due to them sharing an apartment for twelve years, had Alessia down a glass of vervain-spiked wine, put his niece in a cab home, and changed into his own pajamas. Elena closed the door behind her and padded over to the bed where he sat waiting with a knowing look on his face.

“You’ve put up a good front, sweetheart, but I smelled the blood the second I was in the alley. You got cut when you hit that wall, and there’s probably some bruising too. Drink.” he told her before tearing into his wrist and offering her the bleeding wound.

Elena didn’t hesitate, bringing his wrist to her lips and drinking deeply. She let go when Damon tapped twice on her knee, signaling that she’d had enough, and accepted the napkin he offered to clean away any of the excess blood from her face. There wasn’t much, as she had become a rather neat drinker, but it was always a good idea to double-check.

“Did you feed already?” she asked, and he shook his head.

“I was going to wait until Klaus and Elijah got back.” he told her. “We’re near the top of the building, and I’d just be downstairs, but I don’t feel comfortable leaving you alone any longer than necessary after what happened tonight.”

“With as much as I know I just took from you, waiting isn’t really an option. Here.” she said as she moved her hair away from her neck.

“Elena…” he started, but she rolled her eyes.

“Don’t be a baby about this, Damon.” she told him. “According to Isobel’s essay, so long as it’s you who’s feeding on me, it’ll heal just fine, especially since I just ingested no small amount of your blood. It’s okay.” 

“I don’t want to hurt you, Elena.” he said, and she smiled. “I haven’t fed from the vein in twelve years, and I could very well kill you on accident.”

“You won’t. I have a theory, but I can neither prove nor disprove it until you feed.” she said, and he let out a rather resigned sigh before pulling her into his lap and placing his mouth on her throat, bracing himself as he sunk his fangs into her and felt her blood flowing freely over his tongue.

The taste of her blood was unlike any other he’d ever experienced, sweeter than nectar and honey, and it took less than a full second for Damon to realize that he would have to be careful when drinking from her as to not take too much on accident if only because of how easy it would be to near-inhale the divine delicacy that was her blood. He detached after a few minutes, and the strange smile on Elena’s face as she handed him the same napkin he’d given her left him perplexed. He watched in mild astonishment as the two puncture wounds on her throat healed just like the ones that had been on his wrist. She’d been right after all.

“I didn’t hurt you, did I?” he asked, and she shook her head.

“No, baby, you didn’t.” she told him, her smile softening as she spoke. “It actually felt really good.”

“Oh, and what does this say about your theory?” he asked, and she sighed as she curled up against his chest.

“Between me and blood bags from the hospital or blood bank, you’ll never have to hunt again if you don’t want to; though, if you really needed to hunt, I bet I’m a lot more fun to play Cat and Mouse with than Katherine…I know that blood sharing is typically very personal and intimate for vampires, but I’ve already agreed to have my soul bonded to yours for all eternity anyway, so you can’t really get much more personal and intimate than that.” Elena told him, and he couldn’t fault her logic. “Doing things this way means we both get what we need, doesn’t it?”

“I believe that it does, though it’ll take me a bit to wrap my head around the fact that you think me feeding on you feels good.” Damon agreed, and Elena giggled before letting out a big yawn that gave away how much she was fighting to stay awake. “Get some sleep, princess. I’m not going anywhere.”

He lay them both down in the bed and pulled the covers over their bodies as she closed her eyes and drifted off to sleep. He remained awake for a while longer, his eyes trained on the woman in his arms as he thought about how close he’d come to losing her that night. When he finally did fall asleep, it lasted only a few hours before he was woken by Elena’s sobs indicating that she’d had another vision.

“It’s okay, princess, everything’s okay. We’re safe at home, and you’re safe here with me.” he told her as her head dropped against his chest and tears soaked through his t-shirt.

“I hate her so much!” Elena let out as her body shook with sobs, and the vampire felt confused.

“Who’s her, sweetheart? There is sadly more than one female who fits that description.” Damon asked, and she huffed, her breath hot against his skin as she shifted and her mouth hovered somewhere between his neck and jaw.

“I hate Isobel!” she cried. “She tried to take you a year ago, and now she’s gonna take Mom and Dad!”

“Elena, what did you see?” he asked, worried.

“Katherine’s going to have Isobel find them a new pawn, I’m guessing, and he’s going to get behind the wheel of a car and crash head-on into my parents all for the small price of having Isobel turn him. He’ll be human when he does this, so it’s not a supernatural death that my dad’s ring can save him from, and my mom has no chance. That’s how they die, and it’s going to happen before next school year starts. I don’t wanna lose my parents, and I don’t want it to happen in the next six to nine months!” Elena told him, and it broke his heart to see her so distraught when he knew there was nothing that he could do that would help her now.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Hello, sweets! I hope you enjoyed this introduction of the Mikaelson brothers as our plot starts to form. Until next time...XOXO


	4. Abite Noctem

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "Running just as fast as we can, holding on to one another hands/Trying to get away into the night and then you put your arms around me/And we tumble to the ground and then you say..."  
> -"I Think We're Alone Now," by Tiffany

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Part of me wanted to include the Underage warning, but I felt conflicted on a few counts. One, is there ever really an appropriate age difference in a vampire/human romance? Two, do we consider "underage" as being under the age of majority or under the age of consent? Third, we all knew Damon and Elena were going to wind up together anyway, so would it have even made a difference? I'm still not sure, but feel free to let me know if I should include that warning.

Monday morning, Damon took Elena and Jeremy to school as he always did and returned to the apartment where Miranda and Grayson were still at the kitchen table drinking their coffee and discussing the family’s plans for the upcoming Thanksgiving holiday. He poured himself a cup of coffee and joined them at the table, waiting for a moment to break into the conversation. His moment came when Miranda asked if he would still be making dinner at least one of the nights they were at the beach house.

“Well, I promised I’d make my nonna’s lasagna, so most definitely. While I have the metaphorical floor, there’s something I wanna talk to you guys about, so just hear me out for a second, will you?” he said, taking a deep breath to steady himself before he moved forward with what he needed to say. “Do you guys have your wills and your emergency plans for Elena and Jeremy in place? If anything were to happen to you, is everything taken care of as far as the Whos and Whats are concerned?”

“Damon, where is this coming from all of a sudden? Did Elena see something?” Miranda asked, and he nodded.

“She woke up Friday night in tears because she saw the two of you die in a car crash orchestrated by Isobel, and probably Katherine if you want my opinion, but carried out by a human she intended on turning so that it wouldn’t be deemed as a supernatural death by your ring, Grayson.” Damon told them, and they were understandably shocked at the news.

“How much time do we have?” Grayson asked after regaining his composure, and Damon frowned. “I know it’s a predictable question, and I’ve heard patients ask it enough, but it really is all I need to know.”

“Elena’s vision from three weeks ago had her and Jeremy in Mystic Falls by the time the next school year starts, so we’ve estimated it at anywhere between six and nine months. The only way to stop this entirely is if you quit driving for that long, but I don’t expect you to do that. I’m anticipating for Elena to try to get me to make your car undrivable after New Year’s, but I know that actually makes us worse off in the case of an emergency where we need to get outta here in a hurry.” he answered, and the two shrugged in agreement.

“You sadly aren’t wrong, and we’ve thought about what we’d want done if something did happen to the two of us ever since she told us that she didn’t want to go to Mystic Falls to live with Jenna after _that_ vision.” Miranda said, sharing a look with Grayson before returning her focus to Damon. “While we have no problem with Jeremy going to live with Jenna, and we’ve talked to Jenna about this as well, we want to know that Elena will be taken care of emotionally as well as financially in the event of our deaths. After looking into the details of the process both here and in Virginia in case she decides that she doesn’t want to be separated from Jeremy, we were planning on presenting Elena with the idea of emancipation. However, this is a discussion that involves you, Damon, as the easiest way to ensure that she gets emancipated is if the two of you were to be legally married…or engaged to be married at the very least to get the process started.”

“From what Alessia has told us, the solidification ceremony really isn’t that different from a wedding; it’s just magical instead of legal. It’s a strange request, we know, and she’s only sixteen. We should, as her parents, be against this rather than suggesting it, but it wouldn’t have even crossed our minds if we were talking about anyone other than you, Damon.” Grayson said, and the vampire respected the fact that the doctor found this as strange as he did.

“I won’t agree to anything unless Elena does, but I understand your reasoning.” Damon told them. “If she’s willing to talk about her vision this afternoon while Jeremy’s at practice, we can discuss this further. If not, I don’t think we should push her into anything she’s not ready for, okay?”

Grayson and Miranda had agreed with Damon’s terms, and the vampire ended up leaving the apartment shortly thereafter just to get some time to himself to think everything over while he could. He ended up walking around Central Park for a while near lunchtime, and he ended up sitting at a picnic table over by the children’s playground with an ice cream cone in hand. Every once in a while, his eyes would flicker over to where the children were playing, and he thought of all the times he’d brought Elena and Jeremy to that very same playground on weekends when Grayson and Miranda were both working. This led to thoughts of the life that he couldn’t give Elena. Vampires being incapable of reproducing, Klaus not counting due to being a hybrid locked in vampire form, was a clear indicator that children wouldn’t be in his and Elena’s future. Elena had talked about having kids and being a mom ever since she’d gotten her first baby doll for Christmas at age four, and Damon would have been lying if he told someone that he didn’t want kids himself. He’d practically raised Stefan, helped Gioia raise Mia and Milo, and babysat Teresa for Mia during her first few years as a vampire more times than he could count; he was surprisingly good with kids, which had helped when he’d essentially become the Gilberts’ au pair, and his heart ached, no matter how dead it was, knowing that neither he nor Elena would truly get what they wanted most.

“Which one’s yours?” he was pulled out of his thoughts not long after finishing his ice cream by a young woman, likely a nanny, sitting down across from him and asking a rather good question.

“None of them, but I’m not being creepy, I promise.” he told her. “Mine is in high school now, a freshman, but I remember bringing him and his older sister here on the weekends when his parents had to work.”

“You only nannied for the boy, not the girl?” she asked, and he shrugged.

“The Gilberts are old family friends, and I ended up moving in with them when I was thirteen after my parents died. My little brother stayed with our uncle, but since he and I didn’t really get along at the time, Grayson and Miranda took me in; Elena was just a kid herself back then, but she told me that she’d marry me one day. Jeremy was two, and all he knew was that he liked the new guy who had the leather jacket he liked to chew. Jeremy reminds me a lot of my little brother, who I also pretty much raised until we were separated since he was two when our mom first got sick, and he’s always kinda been my kid, more or less. Elena’s different because, as always, Elena was right.” he told her, not entirely sure how talking to a complete stranger was surprisingly helping him. “We found out recently that kids won’t be likely in our future, and part of me still isn’t sure if she should really be marrying me after all.”

“It sounds like you really love this girl, and, if she loves you even half as much, she won’t leave you because of this. Besides, there are always options besides natural conception and birth. See the little white girl with blonde pigtails in the green overalls and the little Asian girl in the purple overalls? Those are mine; their parents couldn’t have kids either, so they adopted Jenni from Vietnam and Kelli from France.” the nanny pointed out, and Damon smiled.

“That idea has potential.” he admitted, and she laughed lightly and patted him on the arm.

“That’s the spirit!” she said, and he watched as her expression shifted from joyful to mysterious. “I wouldn’t rule out you guys having kids of your own just yet though, Damon.”

“How do you know my name?” he asked, his smile gone.

“Oh, sweetie, you have no idea how many magical nannies live in this city. Any of us you see with one of the super-rich families who has enough capability with kids to make it clear that they weren’t just hired for their looks is most likely a witch. I knew what you were once I saw the ring; your niece did her training under my mother, and she called me a few weeks ago when she found out that you aren’t a cold, heartless killer like Zach always said you were.” she told him. “I’m Rachel Davis.”

“If you know, then why are you telling me not to give up on Elena and me being parents?” he asked, and she smiled.

“Psychometry is a wonderful, yet confusing gift. I know what I saw when I touched your arm, Damon, which was you and a very pregnant Elena followed by the two of you and at least three children of varying ages. I don’t know how a vampire could reproduce, but you and Elena will; your kids are going to be so adorable, that oldest daughter of yours looks just like you, but I can’t tell you how it’ll happen. When the What is clear, the Why is always a bit murky.” she said, and he nodded, words failing him as he processed what she’d said.

“Keep this vision of yours between us for now? I don’t need Lessie getting her hopes up and telling Elena who, in all honesty, would probably go into shock after Friday’s events.” he asked once he could speak again, and she nodded emphatically.

“Oh, yeah, definitely. Lessie is a total blabbermouth when it comes to stuff like this, by which I mean I know because she’s already told me about her meeting two Originals, one of the Originals flirting with her, and Elena being attacked by two vamps who thought she was Katherine. Yeah, I’d never tell her about this unless you said it was okay.” Rachel agreed, and Damon shook his head.

“She gets that from my sister. Mia’s not good at keeping secrets beyond what she has to do to survive.” he said as his watch began to beep. “It’s two o’clock. I’ve gotta go pick Elena up from school, but it was nice talking to you, Rachel…Hey, if you have any other visions about… _that_ , Lessie has my number.”

Rachel gave him a nod, and he walked away from the playground in the direction of Elena’s school. By the time he got there, she was waiting for him near the front steps. He caught her, as she practically launched herself into his arms the second he was within her line of sight, and spun her around for a moment which ended when she looked up at him, sniffed the air, and frowned.

“Did you go get ice cream without me?” she asked, and he nodded.

“Don’t be mad, but I got ice cream and walked around the park for a while today. I talked to your parents this morning about your vision from Friday, and they told me something that I wasn’t expecting. It’s good, depending on how you look at it, but it’s a conversation that we all agreed that you need to be a major part of before any decisions are made.” he said, sticking to the promise he made when she was twelve about never lying to her.

“They’re waiting at home for us while Jeremy’s at wrestling practice, aren’t they?” Elena responded, and he nodded.

“C’mon, princess, the king and queen await.” Damon said as he wrapped an arm around her shoulders and began steering them towards the apartment.

Elena was quiet. This was seldom a good thing, as she was rarely quiet around Damon, but she was taking her time in processing everything her parents had told her. Even if they somehow managed to avoid their impending deaths, they were smart enough to know that Katherine and Isobel wouldn’t stop until they were dead or back in Mystic Falls on a more permanent basis. They had accepted that they were more or less marked for death and wanted to make the most of their remaining time with their family. However, they were also thinking about their family’s future without them, and this involved making sure that their only daughter was married off before they died.

Elena had gone to her room without saying anything in response, but they all knew that she needed time to think. Damon hadn’t opposed her parents’ idea, and she wasn’t sure how to take that. Did he want to marry her? Did he really have that much choice since they were already having their souls bonded together? The idea itself wasn’t entirely outlandish, and Elena would’ve been lying even to herself to say that she hadn’t thought of the possibilities of being Mrs. Damon Salvatore for most of her life; from that first night in the library, he had always been _her_ Damon, and she'd never intended on letting another woman steal him from her. She just wanted to know for certain that she wasn’t forcing Damon into something he didn’t want. Sighing to herself, she closed her eyes and focused on listening. Using her enhanced hearing, she sought out the heartbeat in the apartment that was just a bit slower than the others. Damon was sitting outside her door, and she had to fight off a laugh. Smiling to herself, she walked over to the door and opened it to find him exactly where she’d thought he was.

“Hi.” she said as she sat down across from him in the doorway.

“Hi.” he said, smiling back at her.

“We should probably talk. I kinda left without ever actually saying anything, and that wasn’t good on my part.” she said, and he shrugged.

“Wanna go get ice cream and talk about it on the way there and back?” he asked, and she nodded excitedly.

“Let’s go!” she said as she got up and pulled him to his feet before practically dragging him down the stairs.

Neither Damon nor Elena actually brought up the potential of her emancipation and their marriage on the way to their favorite ice cream shop. They were having too much fun playing tag and racing one another down the sidewalks while trying to map out the most effective route home in order to not walk into a construction zone with ice cream. Damon actually let himself enjoy the chase for once, something he hadn’t done in a non-predatory manner since he and Stefan had played tag in the gardens of the old Salvatore estate with Katherine; even then, it hadn’t been so innocent of a game. It was never _just_ about the thrill of the chase with Katherine, but it was with Elena; as he was the only one chasing her, catching Elena had none of the double-meaning that catching Katherine had, and her newfound advanced speed was certainly making the game much more interesting for Damon, as he and Stefan had never stood a chance against Katherine even with her trying to mask her true speed. Things felt more even for him with Elena, more balanced. He chuckled to himself as he let her pull ahead slightly as they neared the shop on First Avenue, realizing that she _would_ be balanced for him given that she was his other half, and prepared himself for his favorite part of this game. Checking his surroundings, he zipped past her and locked his arms around her waist from in front of her. She threw her head back in laughter as he spun her around, and nothing had ever felt as right as when she kissed him as he was setting her back on her feet.

They went inside the shop upon breaking apart, and Damon stood back to watch as Elena argued with herself over flavors for nearly five minutes before turning to see him standing there with her favorite cookie-dough-based flavor waiting for her. She smiled and pressed a kiss to his cheek as she accepted the cone he offered to her, and they walked out of the shop arm-in-arm. As they walked their plotted path home, Damon offered Elena a bite of his raspberry-flavored ice cream which she accepted eagerly. No matter how many times Elena vowed to order a different flavor when they went for ice cream, she always got the same flavor while Damon tried a new one each visit with the unspoken promise that she’d get to taste whatever flavor he ordered for himself.

“So, talking.” he said a while later, their ice cream near gone.

“I thought about what you and my parents had to say, Damon, and I realized that there’s not a reason I know of for why I wouldn’t want to marry you. I love you so much, and I would be nothing but happy to be your wife and to have you as my husband, but I just want to make sure that you’re a hundred percent on board with this. I don’t want either of us to have any regrets, and there aren’t any for me. What about you?” Elena said, and he thought back to his conversation in the park with Rachel.

“Honestly, I don’t think I have any regrets. Well, I don’t have any regrets concerning you; there’ll always be regrets from my human life and my relationship with Stefan, but not with you.” he told her. “I thought that you’d have some reservations or regrets, though. The statistical likelihood of children for us is pretty much nil, and I know you’ve wanted kids since you _were_ a kid. It’s the one thing I can never give you, and I hate that I can’t.”

“Given that I’ll inevitably become a vampire because your blood is always in my system, adoption is always an option. I mean, I was adopted, and Grand-Klaus adopted Marcel, so it’s completely possible.” she pointed out, and he nodded, keeping what the witch had said to himself as he still wasn’t sure if he could trust Rachel.

“It also doesn’t have to be anything we think about immediately either, given that we have an eternity to adopt. So, neither of us would have any regrets. I think that’s definitely a good sign.” he agreed as she popped the last bit of ice cream cone into her mouth.

“Does this mean you wanna marry me?” she asked with a grin, and he smiled softly.

“It means that I most certainly want to, but I’m not asking you…yet. I don’t plan on doing this more than once, so I want to make sure that you get the romantic, perfect proposal of your dreams because that’s what you deserve, princess.” he teased, and she giggled.

“I love you, Damon Francesco Salvatore.” she said, stopping outside the apartment building and wrapping her arms around his neck.

“And I love you, Elena Beth Gilbert-Mikaelson.” he replied, one hand on the back of her neck and the other on the small of her back as they came together in a soft, sweet kiss.

Almost a month later, Elena was far from missing the winter weather in New York as she and Damon sped down the highway in his Camaro listening to Bon Jovi on their way to the Gilberts’ beach house. As much as she loved New York, she preferred the warmth of the North Carolina coast, and that went double when she was there with the man beside her. They had this first day of the trip to themselves, Grayson and Miranda having stayed behind with Jeremy, who Elena was told had to make up a test at school and couldn’t skip a day like his sister; Miranda’s sister Jenna would not making the trip to Atlantic Beach until her college’s Thanksgiving break began the following Tuesday, and Miranda’s best friend Liz would drive down with Jenna as the younger Sommers sister would drive through Mystic Falls on her way to the beach house. Elena didn’t want to waste her time alone with Damon, and she had been wondering to herself if this was all a part of his elaborate proposal plan ever since they’d left New York that morning; her parents had been too happy to see them leave. Those thoughts were in the back of her mind by this point, however, as her focus was on what Damon was currently doing rather than what he might have been planning for later on in the trip. She found herself giggling happily as he belted out the lyrics to the song, the wind whipping through their hair since she’d convinced him to put the top down again.

“…We got something to believe in/Even if we don't know where we stand/Only God would know the reasons/But I bet he must have had a plan/'Cause you were born to be my baby/And baby, I was made to be your man…” he sang, smiling over at Elena as the words flowed from his mouth with ease.

“Truer words have never been sung!” she teased, and he chuckled as he turned the volume down now that they were getting closer to town.

“So, what do you wanna do tonight since it’s just us?” he asked, and she thought for a moment before responding.

“How about we just stay in tonight? We can go grocery shopping after we unpack, get the stuff for the lasagna and something for dinner for tonight, and just enjoy the quiet while it lasts. Tomorrow, though, I wanna go see the _Queen Anne’s Revenge_.” she said, and he gave a shrug and a nod in response.

“That sounds like a plan to me. Any ideas for dinner?” he replied.

“Bruschetta chicken.” she said firmly, and he smiled.

“What my princess wants, my princess gets.” he said as they crossed the bridge from Morehead City onto Atlantic Beach.

Elena wasn’t expecting it when Damon set a glass of wine in front of her as she sat at the breakfast bar in the kitchen watching him cook. It wasn’t that she’d never had alcohol before or anything. In fact, she typically _only_ drank with Damon because he understood why she had such an abnormally high alcohol tolerance due to his blood perpetually staying in her system. No, what confused her was that she normally didn’t start drinking until dinner was on the table.

“Dinner’s not ready yet?” she mused confusedly, but he just gave her a soft smile.

“I think you’ve earned the right to start drinking a little early tonight, princess.” he told her. “After the incident at the grocery store, you need this more than you probably realize.”

“Am I in trouble for what I did?” she asked flatly before taking a sip of wine and smiling, her tone improving. “This is the same wine we drank on my birthday.”

“It’s your favorite, and I happen to be a good boyfriend who remembers things like that.” he replied, and she got up and moved into the kitchen to watch him work at a closer distance. “You’re not in trouble, but you do know that you can’t go through life compelling every woman that flirts with me, right?”

“I know, I promise, and I was gonna make her leave by kissing you in front of her when I saw what was goin on, but then she grabbed your ass. I’m sorry, but I draw the line at some soccer mom on vacation touching my boyfriend’s ass with or without permission.” Elena said, taking another, long drink of wine.

“Well, you never have to worry about any of them ever having permission to grab my ass.” Damon assured her. “Much like the rest of me, it’s yours and yours alone.”

“Good.” Elena said with a teasing smile that lasted until she caught the first whiff of the smells coming from the pan on the stove. “God, that smells good.”

Damon grinned, pleased with himself for making her happy. He felt her eyes on him the whole time he was chopping the shallots, tomatoes, basil, and garlic for the bruschetta topping; she liked to watch him cook, and he wouldn’t lie and say that he didn’t enjoy it just as much. So many of the women he’d pursued, for feeding purposes only, almost exclusively found him attractive on a purely physical level due to his bad-boy persona; in the interrogation that Klaus and Jonathan Gilbert had conducted back in 1864, even Katherine had pretty much said that she’d gone after him because of his body. Once again, Elena was different. Elena wasn’t easily, if at all, impressed by “Bad Boy” Damon, and how could she be since she’d seen him cry at the end of _Pretty Woman_? The Damon that most people saw, the one that he was sure his brother believed he was, wasn’t Elena’s Damon; her Damon was Domestic Damon who cooked, fixed everything with ease, watched sappy rom-coms, and enjoyed cuddling. He only ever let the people he fully and completely trusted see this side of him, and it had been limited to the Gilberts and an occasional Mikaelson or two for twelve years with very few occurrences before then, though even that was mostly limited to just Elena and Jeremy.

Damon continued thinking about this as he checked the temperature of the chicken and removed the pan from the burner. As he garnished the chicken with the bruschetta topping, shaved parmesan cheese, and balsamic glaze, Elena got down plates and handed them to him. The oven dinged as Damon began plating the chicken, and he sent Elena to the dining room table while he took the garlic bread from the oven. A few minutes later, he had their plates on the table along with an empty glass for himself and the bottle of wine he’d from which he’d poured Elena’s first glass. She smiled softly as he refilled her glass before filling his own, and they ate in a companionable silence.

After dinner, Elena went out onto the back deck while Damon washed the dishes. She had no clue why, but the sound of the waves breaking against the shore had always had a calming effect on her; sitting outside on calm nights like that particular night was one of her favorite things, and it was only made better when the sliding door opened and Damon joined her.

“Wanna go for a walk?” he asked, holding out his hand towards her, and she nodded.

“Lead the way.” she answered as she slipped her hand into his and followed him down the staircase and onto the path down to the beach.

When they reached the end of the path, Damon stopped to roll his jeans up to almost his knees; unlike Elena, he hadn’t packed shorts because no human would be wearing them in November in Atlantic Beach where the average daily high was 68̊. Like a vampire, Elena no longer felt the temperature changes the same way a human did and had changed into a pair of jean shorts when they’d gotten back from grocery shopping because she had packed shorts with the sole purpose of going down to the beach and standing in the water. She giggled as she thought about what they must look like to any of the neighbors if they looked out onto the beach and saw them; it was in the lower fifties by the time they were on the beach, and it should’ve been too cold for any normal person to get in the water, yet there they were standing in the surf.

“Something funny?” Damon asked her.

“Oh, I was just thinking about how strange we probably look to any of the neighbors watching us.” Elena replied, her head dropping onto his shoulder as they walked. “Mom probably wouldn’t have let me out of the house without a jacket if she were here instead of New York with Dad and Jeremy. She’s still not used to the changes my body’s made because of your blood.”

“I have a confession to make.” he said, and she looked up at him as he explained. “Jeremy didn’t have a test to make up, and they could’ve driven down today if I hadn’t asked them to let us have a day to ourselves.”

“My parents only have a few months left, Damon, so why would you do that?” she asked, though she had her suspicions, and he stopped walking.

“Because I didn’t want any interruptions when I did this.” he said as he moved out of the surf to stand in front of her before dropping to one knee and reaching into his pocket to retrieve what was one of the most gorgeous [rings](https://i.pinimg.com/originals/b6/4e/fd/b64efdad51db76643ffd6c4c8a0b00f7.jpg) Elena had ever seen. “Elena Beth Gilbert-Mikaelson, my beautiful dark princess, will you marry me?”

“Yes!” she exclaimed without hesitation, and he beamed as he stood and slipped the ring onto her left-hand ring finger. “It’s so beautiful!”

“It was my mother’s. Before my father moved her to the asylum once they knew she wouldn’t survive, Mother called me into her room, took off her engagement ring and wedding band, and placed them in my hand. Father never knew I had them, but Stefan did. I showed them to him once, when he was about eight or nine and asked me what Mother was like. I told him that, when she gave me her rings, she told me that I’d meet a woman one day who I would love more than anything in this world and would love me just as much. I don’t know that she ever thought it would take over a century and a half for me to finally find you, but here we are.” Damon told her, and Elena found herself falling in love with both him and the ring even more. “Now that I’ve found you, I don’t think I can ever let you go.”

“I wouldn’t want you to, and I don’t plan on letting you go either.” she replied, linking her arms around his neck and bringing him in for a kiss.

When she woke the next morning, Elena was surprised to find herself alone in hers and Damon’s bed. The fact that they’d be sleeping in the same bed during the Thanksgiving trip wasn’t what surprised her. Ever since they’d decided to get married, they had also decided to share a bedroom instead of Elena attempting to sleep on her own before ending up in Damon’s bed anyway. She had been quick to move her things into Damon’s room, and her former bedroom had been turned into an upstairs guest room that would be put to use over Christmas break when Elena’s best friend Caroline came to stay with the Gilberts for a week or two.

No, what surprised Elena was that she found herself waking up alone despite what had happened after their kiss on the beach. After his proposal, Damon had been surprised himself when Elena had guided him back into the house and into their bedroom. She could see his hesitation when she’d begun playing with the hem of his shirt, but she insisted that she was ready to take the next step with him. It had been perfect, Elena thought, and it had been because she’d been with Damon. Knowing that it was her first time, Damon had been slow and gentle with her, and she’d fed from him again before going to sleep at his insistence just so she would wake with zero pain. After all of that, she felt entitled to her pouting as she wondered where he had gone. She heard the sound of footsteps outside the door, and she looked up just as Damon stepped inside the room with a breakfast tray in his hands. She smiled as he sat down beside her and leaned in to kiss her good morning.

“I’m sorry I wasn’t here when you woke up, princess.” he told her as he set the tray on the bed between them. “Your parents called to let us know that they’re about to leave now, and Jeremy says to make sure we’ve got a grip on the couple-y stuff by the time they’re here and we’re within his sight again.”

“Did they ask if I said ‘Yes,’ or is everyone assuming that I did?” Elena asked, and he smiled.

“Oh, I think your parents and brother are assuming that you did, but Klaus and Elijah are probably gonna ask when they get here either tonight or tomorrow...assuming they remember that I was planning on proposing on this trip.” Damon said, chuckling at the end of his statement.

“Which one do you think is gonna have The Talk with and threaten you?” she asked with a giggle, and he sighed.

“After twelve years, both!” he said, shaking his head and chuckling. “Eat your breakfast, princess. We’ve got a long day of pirate hunting ahead of us.”

Every year since the conservation lab had been opened, Elena made at least one trip to Morehead City to see what new artifacts had been recovered from Blackbeard’s infamous flagship _Queen Anne’s Revenge_ , and, every year, Damon watched her excited, wonder-filled expression as she took in everything. Money and compulsion were always enough to get them inside, and no one there ever remembered the excitable girl or her shadow by the time they left. It had always been their thing, Jeremy having never really been interested in pirates and Grayson and Miranda preferring to lounge on the back deck with a drink in hand, and they always stuck to the same schedule. First, they would go to the museum in Beaufort to refresh their memories as to what they had seen on their previous visits. Next, they would go to the lab to see what new finds had yet to be added to the museum’s collection. The last thing they would do before returning to the beach house was for them to take the nearly two-hour drive from Beaufort to Bath to tour all of the historic sites related to Blackbeard. This visit, the first stop had gone as planned. The second stop, however veered slightly off course when Elena spied a mariners charm locket on one of the tables.

“This necklace…how recently was this pulled from the wreck?” she asked the conservationist showing them the most recent finds.

“This piece was retrieved within the past few weeks. The water had already dissolved the seal, and we found quite an interesting engraving on the back when we opened it.” the man said as he turned the pendant over to show Damon and Elena the inscribed message. “It reads, ‘To My Darling Edward, May you have many a fair summer’s day. Love, Katherine.’ Now, we have no idea who it’s from or what the message means outside of the obvious, but it is curious that the stones on the front are Lapis Lazuli; a professor at Duke wrote an article about the importance of Lapis Lazuli in vampire lore, and this has produced the theory amongst some here that Blackbeard was a vampire, but we haven’t gone public about it since we know we’d be laughed out of our jobs around here. That would mean admitting that vampires are real, and we couldn’t very well call ourselves scientists and historians if we did that.”

“Damon…” Elena warned, and the vampire nodded as he turned to the conservationist.

“Well, this has been an enlightening visit, but we’re going to have to cut this one short.” he said before focusing in on the man’s mind and compelling him to forget. “You won’t remember meeting or even seeing us today, and you won’t notice that the necklace is gone for several days. When you do notice, you’ll remember that it was determined that it was too modern to be from the _Revenge_ and was sold to an auction house by your superiors. You will, however, remember that the theory of Blackbeard being a vampire is preposterous because vampires don’t exist.”

The man dazedly repeated everything Damon had said, and the vampire and doppelgänger made a swift exist from the lab with the necklace tucked safely in Damon’s jacket pocket. They had foregone the trip to Bath in favor of returning to the beach house where Elena went straight for the kitchen and grabbed the bottle of wine from the night before and poured herself a glass. Damon followed suit with a glass of bourbon, and the two sank down onto the couch.

“Beheading pretty much kills everything, right?” Elena asked, and Damon nodded.

“Even if we talking about the same Katherine turning Blackbeard as our dear little she-devil, he’s been dead longer than I’ve been alive.” he told her, and she sighed as she leaned into him.

“How much alcohol would it take for me to forget finding out about my several times great-grandmother potentially turning Blackbeard and might’ve even done what Petrova women apparently do best?” she asked, getting a snicker as a response.

“Lena, there’s not enough alcohol to erase that, but I can offer a temporary distraction?” he offered.

“What kinda distraction are we talking about exactly?” she replied, angling her face up towards his, and he grinned as he leaned down just enough to press his lips to hers.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Okay, sweets, a lot happened in this chapter. Katherine and Blackbeard isn't even in the Top Five for most of you, I'd bet, but it was a fun little side-thought of mine that came about while writing this chapter. Let me know your thoughts on everything that's happened so far, and, as always, until next time...XOXO


	5. Opus Est Aliquis Ad Rectam Me Tractare

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "These arms of mine, they are yearning/Yearning from wanting you/And if you would let them hold you/Oh, how grateful I will be..."  
>  -"These Arms of Mine," by Otis Redding

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: This chapter is the start of the Holidays 2008 arc that will be present for the next few chapters. Also in this chapter, a history of the Mikaelsons in brief will be given. Enjoy, sweets!

Several hours later, Elena woke by herself once more, only this time lying on the couch. Listening, she could hear Damon in the laundry room, and she could feel her face heating up as she remembered why he was there. She had enjoyed his method of distraction, but there was only so much that both a vampire’s enhanced senses and their bedsheets could take; Damon was rightfully worried that Klaus and Elijah would, after having seen Elena grow up but never having totally accepted that she wasn’t still the little girl in pigtails, completely freak out the moment they caught the scent of what the two of them had been up to while alone. It was bad enough that they’d know it’d happened, but Elena didn’t think they needed to know how much it had. That was for her and Damon alone to know, so they’d been quick to clean themselves up and start the laundry before Elena napped on the couch while Damon reread _Call of the Wild_. If Elena had to guess, she’d bet anything that Damon had only left her side to put the items in the washing machine into the dryer and then again to get said items out to take them back to their room. Hearing him vamp into their room, she knew she’d been right.

She giggled to herself as she waited for him to return, grabbing the television remote from the coffee table and absentmindedly flicking through channels until a movie caught her eye. It was at the end, but it was her favorite part of the film so she wasn’t bothered. Damon chuckled as he walked back into the room and stood behind the couch with a hand on her shoulder. She knew that he loved it just as much as she did.

_“Nobody puts Baby in a corner.”_ they both said the line in sync with Patrick Swayze on the screen, and Damon pulled the couch backwards with a giggling Elena still on it.

When he held out his hand, she accepted it and followed him to where the couch had been. They danced, though not exactly like Johnny and Baby, and she knew that he was having as much fun as she was when his laughter joined hers towards the middle of the song. Damon had always loved dancing, and Elena loved dancing with him. Katherine hadn’t been much of a dancer, Elena knew this from stories Damon had told her when she’d asked about her ancestor, and had been much more suited to Stefan’s reluctance to dance at the numerous parties and balls in the Mystic Falls of 1864 than to Damon and his passion for music and moving to it. It was Katherine’s loss, Elena thought, and her own gain.

“Something on your mind, princess?” he asked, and she smiled.

“Yep, you. I was thinking about how lucky I am that Katherine hated dancing even though you love it; I don’t have any related memories of her to compete with when we dance because this is ours.” she told him, and he nodded.

“You never have to compete with old memories of Katherine as is, sweetheart, but you’re right. Dancing is our thing, and it always will be.” he replied, stopping to kiss her as the credits for the movie playing in the background cut out as whatever was up next was announced.

They broke apart as both their ears perked up at the sound of an approaching car. It didn’t sound like Grayson’s Audi, so the new arrivals could only be the Original siblings. Damon sighed and moved he couch back to where it belonged, and Elena turned off the television just as the opening scene of _Havana Nights_ began playing. They were proven right when the front door opened to reveal two of the three Mikaelsons entering without issue. Rebekah, however, stood in the doorway waiting for an invitation.

“Welcome, Rebekah, and come inside before Klaus finally convinces Uncle Elijah that the two of us meeting is a bad idea after all.” Elena called, and the blonde female vampire stepped over the threshold.

“Thank you.” she said, her voice accented just like her brothers’. “You must be Elena.”

“That I am, and, if these two are to be believed, you’re my Aunt Rebekah.” the doppelgänger said, but the blonde furrowed her brow in confusion.

“How?” she asked, and Elena turned to the two male Originals.

“You didn’t tell her?” she asked, and Elijah threw his hands up defensively.

“Klaus and I didn’t know if you wanted her to know right away.” he said, and she sighed.

“Fair point.” she told him before turning to Rebekah. “You’re technically my very distant aunt because Klaus here managed to father a child before your mother turned you all into vampires. Tatia bore Klaus’ only human child, a daughter named Ylva, who would go one to continue her line to a girl named Katerina Petrova, who had a daughter named Nadia Petrova who would go on to continue her line to a girl named Isobel Fleming who gave birth to a daughter that she promptly gave up who was named Elena Gilbert-Mikaelson, who is me. Being of pretty much direct descent from Klaus is one of the reasons he can’t bring himself to use me in the ritual despite me being the most recent Petrova doppelgänger.”

“Why did I never know of my niece?” Rebekah asked, looking from Elena to her brothers.

“Mother was setting everything up for one of us, ultimately me, to kill Tatia and the baby when we were turned. As it turned out, Mother had been planning for most of Klaus’ life to bind his werewolf side and knew she’d need Tatia’s blood once she discovered how powerful it was, so she wanted to ensure that the doppelgänger line would end so that he would never be able to undo the binding once it was in place. I only knew because Tatia asked me to get Ylva as far from Mother as I could once she was gone; she knew that, between Klaus and myself, she wouldn’t survive, but she wanted her daughter to have a chance. Tatia even used magic to ensure that no one in Ylva’s line of descent would ever be able to activate their werewolf gene even accidentally because that would make any future doppelgänger ineligible for the ritual if she were to become a werewolf or worse; we know it worked because Katherine never became a hybrid. Of course, Tatia mostly wanted Klaus to have a chance since he’d been bound against his will; I agreed to spirit Ylva away because I didn’t want any other members of our family being killed due to Mother’s wanton disregard for Nature’s rules.” Elijah answered.

“Yet, this didn’t stop either of you from being played by Katherine?” Damon asked, and Klaus rolled his eyes. “You both had a relationship with a descendant and didn’t think it was strange or wrong? Seriously?”

“Like you and your brother were any better when it came to Katherine and her games?” the hybrid teased. “Plus, sixteen generations is far enough removed for it to not be so weird, especially when you don’t have actual feelings involved in the matter. Sorry, Elijah.”

“It’s alright, brother, I’m well past your betrayal…well, that one. Besides, we’re both over her at this point, aren’t we, Klaus?” Elijah added, and Damon groaned because he’d known that Klaus was over Katherine’s issues for years, finding her more of an annoyance than anything, but Elijah’s statement implied that he had also finally let go of ever getting “his Katerina” back at any point in the future and left Damon only one reason why.

“For the love of God, if you ever hurt Lessie, I will see to it that you’re daggered in your sleep.” he warned, and Rebekah looked between the two in confusion mixed with amusement.

“Lessie would be Damon’s five-times-great-niece Alessia who our brother has taken quite the shine to since meeting her on Halloween.” Klaus explained, and Rebekah smiled. “I think they even made their relationship official last Monday.”

“It’s nice to see Elijah happy again.” she noted, and Elena agreed.

“Uncle Elijah also has to deal with the fact that Damon and I are together because of it, too. Any arguing makes him a hypocrite.” the doppelgänger said, and Rebekah glanced between her newfound distant-niece and the youngest vampire in the room before sniffing the air.

“How old are you?” she asked suddenly, and Elena chuckled nervously.

“I’m sixteen.” Elena admitted, knowing that they were officially busted, and her distant-aunt frowned before rounding on Damon.

“Why in the everloving Hell did you, a one-hundred-and-sixty-nine-year-old vampire frozen at age twenty-five, have sex with a sixteen-year-old girl? I don’t care what time we’re in or what the societal norms currently are, no girl is fully aware of what she wants at sixteen! How many of us in this room have ever been a sixteen-year-old-girl? Oh, that would be just Elena and myself, and I’m the one who’s lived through a young woman’s life repeatedly for a thousand year-” Rebekah began her tirade, but she stopped when Elena placed a hand on her shoulder.

“Aunt Rebekah, I’m not like most sixteen-year-old girls, and I’m not just saying that to get you to calm down. Not only do Damon and I have a soulmate bond, but I’ve been feeding from him since I was eight-years-old and nearly died from a fall down the stairs. In a lot of ways, I’m more vampire than I am human, another reason Klaus can’t use me, and I do actually know what I want because I want the one thing, the one person that I can never live without, and that’s Damon.” she told her, and the blonde gazed at her niece with an appraising curiosity in her eyes as if she was seeing something that was only visible to her.

“Soulmate bonds are rare, and even rarer is the witch who sees one. However distantly removed, you are a Mikaelson and thus should be a witch of some capacity. Can you see your bond with him?” she asked, but Elena shook her head.

“Between the semi-regular feedings and the fact that my dominant witch side is apparently my Petrova Traveler side, my powers have always limited to visions of danger in my future. Because Damon is my other half and all, it extends to him, but that’s it.” Elena explained, and the blonde let out a sigh and nodded before responding.

“I only ever dabbled a little before being turned, not like Kol who was well on his way to becoming an accomplished witch, but I have enough power myself to see it. An ordinary witch may lose _all_ of her powers when she becomes a vampire, but as an Original vampire born from the woman who’s been called the Original witch, Kol and I might be that exception.” Rebekah said with a small smile. “It’s not much of your bond that I can see, mostly an almost gravitational pull between the two of you, but it’s there. We should both be able to see more if we practice, little one.”

“As interesting as all this is, can we move backward for just one moment to the part where you two had sex?” Klaus asked, rounding on Damon and Elena, the latter of whom rolled her eyes at the hybrid. “You only started officially dating a month ago!”

“Should I even note that Isobel got pregnant with me at fifteen and that Katherine had Nadia at seventeen? At least I’m in zero danger of getting pregnant, and I also didn’t just go out and sleep with anyone. We’re talking about me and Damon, here, Klaus, who I also happen to be marrying!” Elena argued, and Elijah’s head snapped in their direction at her words.

“You’re engaged?” he asked, and Elena held up her left hand to show all three her engagement ring. “Since when? Shouldn’t at least one of us have had to give our blessing?”

“Damon asked me last night, and I obviously said ‘Yes.’” she said, and she watched as Elijah grinned like the Cheshire cat. “My dad gave his blessing when he and my mom talked to us about having an actual, legal wedding in addition to the solidification ceremony so that I’ll be emancipated by the time they’re gone.”

“I knew it’d happen sooner rather than later!” he said triumphantly, chuckling. “From the moment I first saw the way the two of you are with one another, I knew that I would live long enough to see Damon Salvatore, of all people, get married. You have my blessing and full support!”

“Okay, as _my_ opinions on _my_ life clearly don’t matter in a room full of Mikaelsons, marriage and domestic life were what I actually wanted when I was human. I’ve just spent most of my immortal life trying to look after my little brother to the best of my ability despite his protests, so I wasn’t exactly focused on settling down as much as I was on cleaning up after Stefan.” the youngest vampire in the room defended himself, and Elena giggled wrapped her arms around his middle.

“Don’t worry, Damon, at least one Mikaelson in this room cares about your opinions.” she said, and he pressed a kiss to her hair.

“Who says you count as a Mikaelson?” Klaus teased, though they all knew he didn’t mean a word of it.

“Aunt Rebekah just said I did!” Elena responded, sticking her tongue out at him. “Plus, it’s literally part of my last name!”

“While I can’t fault the fact that your last name is indeed Gilbert-Mikaelson, Rebekah’s the youngest, so what she says doesn’t count.” Klaus said, but Elena was ready.

“You both said that I’m a Mikaelson on Halloween, and you called me ‘our youngest Mikaelson’ when talking about how Uncle Elijah didn’t kill Ylva when he killed Tatia.” she reminded him.

“She’s got you there, brother.” Elijah said with a grin. “Our little Elena is growing up, but she’s always had the Petrova fire and Mikaelson loyalty.”

“You guys turn on one another more frequently than Stefan and I do.” Damon pointed out, but Rebekah laughed.

“We do, yes, but we also make it clear that we’re the only ones _allowed_ to betray one another. If it had been anyone but one of my brothers who daggered me, I’d have already found them and ended their life. Since it was Klaus, and since Elijah’s convinced me that he had no idea what Klaus had done, I can forgive these two so long as they both remember that I won’t forget.” she explained with a smirk aimed at her brothers, and Elena laughed at the nervous looks on their faces.

About an hour after the Mikaelson siblings arrived, the three other Gilberts walked through the front door with an unexpected addition in tow. Elena let out a high-pitched squeal that sent all four vampires and three humans reaching for their ears as she ran over and threw her arms around the blonde teenage girl with her brother and parents. She hadn’t seen her best girlfriend since the previous summer, and she hadn’t thought she’d see her until the following month.

“Care, I can’t believe you’re here!” Elena chirped as she hugged her friend. “I thought you were supposed to spend Thanksgiving with your dad this year!”

“My dad took off to Florida with his boyfriend to have Thanksgiving with his family, and I couldn’t leave my mom alone on a holiday. She’s driving down from Mystic Falls on Tuesday after work, and she’s gonna bring Jenna down with her, but I got to come down with Aunt Miranda and Uncle Grayson because she didn’t want me bored out of my mind on my own for a few days. Bonnie went with her dad on a trip to California, and Matt’s taking advantage of his mom actually being home for once, so I wasn’t gonna turn down the chance to spend time with you!” Caroline Forbes responded in just as giddy a voice as Elena.

“I actually forgot that Aunt Liz was coming down for Thanksgiving!” Elena said, turning to Damon as she continued. “Have I been that out of it?”

“No, sweetheart, you haven’t, I promise. Liz called last week to ask about Caroline coming down a few days early, but your parents and I thought you’d like this surprise so we didn’t tell you she’d be here.” he told her, catching the way Caroline’s eyes caught sight of Elena’s engagement ring. “Yes, Care Bear, it’s exactly what you think it is, and I _am_ stupid enough to hand over my credit card so you can play wedding planner.”

“Yay! I’m going to need _so_ many binders!” Caroline said excitedly, clapping her hands together and radiating joy.

“Not gonna lie, and I know I’ve said this before, but she scares me.” Klaus said to Damon, and the younger vampire merely chuckled.

“Care does that to everyone at first, but she gets better once she’s been around you long enough to know that you don’t expect perfection; Elijah taught her to drive, so feel free to ask him how one makes Caroline Forbes understand that perfection isn't universal but is interpretable. She’s a teenaged child of divorce with severe people-pleasing issues, and she’s a hyper-organized only child of a founding family.” Damon said quietly enough for only the Mikaelson siblings and Elena to hear, but any reply Klaus may have had was drowned out by Caroline asking if Damon and Elena had thought about when they wanted to get married.

“We haven’t talked about anything much at this point, Care.” Elena answered. “We only got engaged last night!”

“Okay, you’re right, you need time to discuss.” Caroline said, opening her mouth to ask another question only to be cut off by Klaus who, after just a single, quick glance in his (many times) great-granddaughter’s direction, could sense the impending anxiety creeping up on Elena.

“I have an idea.” he said. “It’s rather late, by normal standards, so why don’t we all forego cooking tonight and drive up to Jack’s and check out the new place we’ve heard about for months?”

“What’s Jack’s?” Rebekah asked, and Jeremy snickered while Elijah and Damon grinned.

Jack’s, it turned out, was a bar and grill in Morehead City that had opened a few months prior. The three male vampires and teenaged human boy had heard about the place when they’d been down for the summer, and it was something that they all enjoyed to go to a new bar and keep a running tally of how many men the vampires could scare away from Elena and, occasionally, Caroline. Jeremy kept the scoresheet they’d devised, and Klaus was actually ahead by a point due to the Halloween incident. Elena had also been added to the roster with two points to her name, one from Halloween and the other from the previous evening’s trip to the grocery store.

During dinner, Damon scored another point for himself when he smoothly slipped it into his exchange with their waiter that Elena was his fiancée after noticing the way his eyes lingered on her for a moment longer than strictly necessary. After dinner, while Grayson and Miranda decided to go back to the beach house early, Jeremy followed Caroline, Elena, Damon, and the Mikaelson siblings down to the bar area. They grabbed a couple of tables for their group, and the vampires went to get them all drinks. To the right of the bar, Jeremy could see a DJ booth; the stage for when the bar had live music was to the right of that, but tonight was a DJ night. Booming, upbeat music played throughout the room, and the teenager had never been as glad for the gift of compulsion as he was when he realized that his sister had quit listening to Caroline prattle on about wedding details because of something, or rather someone near the bar that caught her eye. When the inevitable confrontation happened, Jeremy was sure that the three Originals would be capable of compelling any human who witnessed it to either forget or keep the secret of the supernatural to themselves.

“-lena? Is everything okay?” Caroline asked, and Jeremy inclined his head towards the bar.

“I know her.” Elena said softly, meeting Damon’s eyes as they snapped towards her. “I’ve seen her face before, and it wasn’t good.”

“The Katherine and Isobel type or the Vacationing Soccer Mom type of ‘Not Good’?” Jeremy asked in what was barely a whisper.

“Katherine and Isobel.” Elena told him while mouthing to Damon two words. ‘Send Klaus.’

Damon understood and told the hybrid that Elena needed him. Klaus nodded and made his way over to the table with the non-vampire trio’s first round of drinks. He had seen the same woman Elena had, and he felt just as uneasy as she did.

“Yes, little one?” Klaus asked as he handed them their drinks.

“Onkel Finn snudde henne. Jeg så henne i en visjon for mange år siden hvor hun hjalp ham etter at han var overdrevet. Han prøvde å drepe meg.” she said in a fluent Norwegian that had taken many hours of practice with Klaus and Elijah to perfect.

“I wouldn’t let that happen, love, but I think you should go over to Damon while I stay with Jeremy and Caroline.” he told her, keeping his voice low. “If my memory serves, which we both know it does, this is the same woman who turned Damon into the cold, heartless manwhore he was twelve years ago.”

“Well, I can’t let twelve years of hard work go down the drain now, can I?” Elena replied, picking up her drink and making her way over to the bar without another word.

Damon felt her approach and made space for her between Elijah and himself. She fit, if only just, as her uncle made sure to keep himself closer than usual to her and Damon while her aunt kept tabs on the redhead who was trying to not seem so obvious with her frequent glances at the youngest vampire in the room. Elena knew that none of the three Mikaelsons were doing this for Damon, and she knew that they would’ve ignored their brother’s eldest sire if it had just been the vampires and not the doppelgänger and two humans they cared for who were present. They were protecting them for her benefit, something done solely out of Mikaelson loyalty, and Elena was fully aware that she was one of the few people who could claim to have the loyalty of more than one Mikaelson.

“Elena, darling, when did you last feed?” Elijah asked, bringing her out of her thoughts.

“This afternoon, Uncle Elijah, but why does that matter?” she responded, and he smirked.

“While younger ones, such as Damon here, might not be able to get inside your head due to your locket and the enchantments upon it, you’ve become much too like us for it to keep Rebekah, Klaus, and I from hearing your thoughts if we try. You are correct in your thinking, though you have now made it to where Damon is indeed family.” he told her, and she grinned into her drink as Damon dropped a kiss to the top of her head.

A few moments later, the bartender placed four more drinks on the bar in front of them, and they gathered them up and made their way back to where Klaus was almost guarding Jeremy and Caroline who were each watching the scene with deep interest. Klaus eagerly accepted his drink from his brother, and Elijah chuckled before remarking how it hadn’t been so long ago for them that Klaus would never have trusted a drink he’d handed him.

“Considering the last time that happened was in the 80s and you slipped ecstasy tablets into my drink just to see what they’d do to me, you’re lucky I’ve been able to regain _any_ trust in you concerning alcohol.” Klaus snorted before downing his entire drink in one go.

“Brother, unless drinking habits of humans have changed in the time I was neutralized, you’re not being very inconspicuous.” Rebekah teased, and Klaus rolled his eyes.

“If I’m going to be forced to deal with Finn’s ex, I’m about to start in on the tequila shots. Anyone want to join me?” he responded, and Elijah, Rebekah, Damon, and Elena all downed their drinks instantly.

“Lena, should you be doing that?” Caroline asked, and Elena shrugged.

“I’ve already burned through the wine from earlier, so I should be fine.” the brunette said.

“Wine from earlier? When did you start day drinking?” Jeremy asked, and his sister rolled her eyes as his laughter.

“I started drinking the wine last night with dinner; Damon thought I’d need it after the grocery store incident. However, I finished off the bottle when we got back from the _Queen Anne’s Revenge_ lab this afternoon in an effort to forget that Katherine potentially turned Blackbeard himself just like she turned Damon and Stefan.” Elena admitted. “Damon had about a half a bottle of bourbon for the same reason.”

“Since he was beheaded and most certainly dead, we’re going to table that little revelation for later. On the topic of Elena’s alcohol consumption, Barbie, she’s fine. She fed from me not long after finishing off the wine, and her tolerance levels skyrocketed because of my blood being in her system already.” Damon added as Klaus returned to the bar to order the first round of shots.

After three rounds of tequila shots, Elijah stayed back at the table to keep an eye on the redhead while the remaining six went out onto the dancefloor. Rebekah had agreed to stay with Jeremy while Klaus was with Caroline, but the eldest of the Mikaelsons there could see that the redhead’s focus was solely on Damon and Elena; if he was going to be honest with himself, Elijah couldn’t see how her focus would’ve been elsewhere if she tried arguing the point later as her eyes were practically boring holes into his niece’s skull. He knew that Elena could feel her gaze, and he had to suppress a howl of laughter when he realized that Elena and Damon were physically so close that he’d have almost been worried about the situation turning inappropriate if he hadn’t known what was going on inside the young couple’s heads. Wanting to test as to whether the redhead registered the presence of the other Mikaelsons at all, Elijah took his focus off the woman long enough to jump into his sister’s mind and ask her to bring Jeremy back to the table. Klaus saw this and followed soon after with Caroline. The redhead’s eyes never left Damon and Elena.

“One of us should take them home before we confront her.” Rebekah said to her brothers, and they nodded.

“I’ll go. Not only do I drive faster, but I also know the way back better than either of you.” Klaus volunteered.

“Don’t be long, brother. While I suspect that we are more than equipped to handle her, I don’t like to take chances with Elena’s safety.” Elijah told him, and Klaus nodded before quietly telling the two humans that it was time to go. “None of us do.”

Once the three were gone, Damon and Elena returned to the table. Rebekah sat with Elena while Elijah and Damon went back to the bar; the brunette, while uneasy about the redhead’s presence in the bar, was pleased to see that the blonde actually seemed to be having fun. She mentioned this to her aunt, getting a light laugh in response.

“Over all the years I’ve lived, little one, there have existed a mere handful of things that never change. The combination of music, dance, and alcohol is one such thing, and I will always enjoy it no matter who makes an appearance.” Rebekah said, and Elena smiled.

“You should come up to New York for the winter holidays. Uncle Elijah probably already has another party lined up for us to go to no matter how much we protest.” Elena remarked.

“That sounds like an excellent idea, Elena.” the blonde said with a grin. “I was planning on traveling that way soon anyway, mostly because I feel like I should meet Alessia if Elijah isn’t going to stop talking to and about her any time in the near future.”

“Alessia is a fascinating and wonderful woman, sister.” Elijah said as he and Damon returned. “Her beauty extends beyond her physical aspects, and her mind is cuttingly sharp.”

“She’s also a Salvatore, so expect some attitude if you give her even the slightest bit of one yourself.” Damon added, setting a glass of dark red wine in front of Elena. “I got you your favorite.”

“Thank you.” Elena said softly, smiling sadly at him as she saw the hesitance in his eyes. “I trust you. I don’t trust her, but I trust you.”

“If the two of you would like to step out onto the deck while we wait for Klaus to return, we can keep an eye on her and warn you if she starts heading in your direction.” Elijah said, and the couple nodded before leaving the table with their drinks in hand.

Elena felt refreshed by the cold air of the night as she and Damon stepped out onto the deck that led to the marina next door. They walked as far from the door as they could, and Damon’s tension dissipated as they set their drinks on the wooden bar built into the railing and fell into a searing kiss that became softer the longer it continued. Elena had initiated the kiss, and she was sure that it had done its job of reassuring Damon that she wasn’t even the slightest bit upset with or worried about him when they finally came up for air.

“If I had even the slightest inclination or reasonable belief that you’d ever revert back to being the cruel, selfish, homicidal bastard you were before you met me, last night never would’ve happened.” she told him. “You’re not that guy, baby.”

“The only reason I’m not that guy is because of you, princess.” he replied. “You deserve better than that guy, and you make me believe that I _can_ be better than that guy.”

“Well, isn’t that sweet.” a female voice said, and Elena reached for her wine.

“What do you want, Sage?” Damon asked, though he didn’t particularly care so long as Elena was left unscathed.

“I’d been thinking crazy, hot sex like the old days when I first saw you, but now I just wanna know how you ended up going so soft? What happened to my ruthless seductor?” she asked as Elena took a long drink from her wine glass and listened for the Mikaelson siblings to join them.

“I woke up and remembered who the hell I am, that’s what.” Damon replied, his eyes still on Elena.

“It seems like you don’t remember who you are at all to me; if you did, someone would already be dead. Maybe you need a reminder?” Sage near-purred, and Elena mimed gagging as she turned to face the redhead.

“Sorry, but you just sound so desperate and disappointed right now that it’s making me sick.” she said, smirking. “Your chances are better with one of the many drunk humans back in the bar.”

“Katherine, I take it?” Sage responded, and Elena wrinkled her nose in displeasure.

“I shall give you the benefit of not focusing enough to tell that you’re speaking to a human, Sage, and merely tell you that this is not Katerina Petrova.” Klaus said in a rather droll tone as he and his siblings stepped near-silently onto the deck.

“I really don’t like being mistaken for the evil twin.” Elena said, leaning backwards into Damon’s touch as his hand settled on the small of her back. “Although, we do probably share about as well as each other.”

“Actually, my dear, I think Katherine might be better at it than you. Though we know she enjoys having the affections of the brothers Salvatore on her at her leisure, Katherine didn’t even feel mildly perturbed by Sage here cheating on her supposed true love with Damon almost a century ago.” Elijah commented, and Elena let out a hollow laugh.

“I’m not bothered by their past, as it’s entirely in the past, but I am bothered by thoughts of history repeating itself.” she said as she kept her eyes on Sage. “I’ll tell you this one time: I don’t share unless absolutely necessary, and it’ll never be deemed necessary by me to ever share Damon, so think again.”

“I’m sure that Finn will understand my actions should he be returned to me, and I am sure that there are some things that I can do for Damon that you could never even dream of, human. I bet there’ve been plenty of girls before you in the last few years who might agree.” Sage said, but this time she was met by Damon’s laughter.

“Before Halloween, I hadn’t drank from the vein in twelve years.” he told her, his hand moving from Elena’s back to her waist. “Before last night, I hadn’t had sex for just as long. Elena is my everything, and she's the only woman I need.”

“Wait, you drank from Elena?” Klaus asked, alarmed, and the youngest vampire on the deck nodded.

“She asked me to, so I did.” Damon said with a smile.

“You didn’t hurt her, correct?” Elijah asked, and Sage watched the exchange with mild confusion at how much concern the Original brothers had for the human.

“Actually, Uncle, it felt good when he fed on me. I enjoyed it, and it only seemed fair.” Elena answered, and Sage’s eyes went wide.

“Uncle?” she asked, and all five nodded.

“Not many people were aware that I had a daughter before Mother turned us into vampires. Elena here is of my direct, human line and has known Elijah and myself since she was just a babe in her bassinet. She is our littlest Mikaelson, and she shares about as well as one, too.” Klaus said with a grin aimed at Elena.

“I seem to recall Finn telling me about you and Elijah _sharing_ dear Katerina.” Sage remarked, and the brothers shrugged.

“We were weak and stupid, and she played us the way she plays most men. We’ve learned from our mistakes, however, and have moved on with our lives.” Elijah replied, smirking slightly.

“And where Mikaelson men may have weak spots when it comes to sharing, the women don’t. Go ahead and try to touch Damon; I’d love to see the end result.” Rebekah teased, and Sage glared before attempting to vamp over and grab Damon by his shoulder only to be stopped by Elena’s right hand snapping her wrist.

“No touching.” Elena told her, and the redhead gaped.

“Klaus, you said she’s human!” Sage cried out, rubbing her left wrist with her right hand as it healed, and Klaus chuckled.

“She is, but she’s a human who has spent most of her life around vampires.” he noted. “Elena’s full of surprises.”

“Sage, I’m happy with my life, and I’m more than happy with Elena. Just do us all a favor and disappear until further notice again, alright? None of us want to rip any hearts out tonight, but I’m sure it could be managed if you really wanted.” Damon said, and the redhead glared before jumping into the dark water below and disappearing into the night.

“Well, on that note, I say we go home now.” Elijah said, and the other four agreed.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: What Elena says to Klaus is, "Uncle Finn turned her. I saw her in a vision, years ago, where she was helping him try to kill me." This isn't the last we'll see of Sage, but it will be a while before we do see her again. Until next time...XOXO


	6. Gratiarum Actio

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "Oh, there's no place like home for the holidays/For no matter how far away you roam/When you long for the sunshine of a friendly gaze/For the holidays, you can't beat home, sweet home..."  
> -"(There's No Place Like) Home for the Holidays," by The Carpenters

Compared to the first two days of the trip, the next two-and-a-half were largely uneventful. On Sunday, the four humans were given a rundown of the incident with Sage on Saturday during breakfast, though it was watered down for the benefit of Grayson and Miranda, before the grocery trip for all of the fresh ingredients needed for Thanksgiving dinner. For all the things that they would need, the group split into a group of two, a group of four, and a group of three. Damon, Elena, and Jeremy went to a recently opened farmer’s market while Grayson and Miranda went to Walmart with Elijah and Klaus for anything that couldn’t be purchased at the farmer’s market; the idea of the Original brothers being in a Walmart was laughable, in a sense, and Damon asked for photographic evidence of it. Rebekah went with Caroline on a separate trip from the others to multiple stores in search of notebooks and other things she deemed necessary for wedding planning. Having the two blondes together scared Damon, which he told Elena, but this was only because of how well they seemed to get along.

On Monday, everyone spent the day down on the beach. The daytime sun had warmed the ocean enough that it wasn’t as strange for them to be in the water, and it was Rebekah’s first time going to the beach since the invention of the bikini. She had been concerned by the mere scraps of fabric that were modern women’s bathing suits, but Caroline and Elena managed to help her calm down after her initial freak out long enough for her to process that there was nothing wrong with the ruby two-piece she wore. Grayson grilled fish for dinner that night, and they ate on the deck as the sun sank below the horizon.

Tuesday went by slowly, but everyone knew that Liz and Jenna would be arriving that evening, making it Caroline’s last night staying with the Gilberts. Though, with the Forbes’ beach house being next door, this wouldn’t hinder her from spending all her time with them anyway. Later that afternoon, everyone went outside once more to enjoy the last hour or so of daylight except for Damon and Elena, the former doing prep for dinner while the latter watched.

“Something on your mind, princess?” Damon asked as he worked, smiling over at his fiancée.

“Caroline’s right.” Elena told him. “We need to set a date for the wedding soon. My parents don’t have long left, and the point of this was so that I’d be emancipated before they’re gone.”

“No, the point of our marriage is that we love each other and want to get married. Whether it be legal, magical, or both, this was always going to happen.” he reminded her, and she gave him a small smile.

“When do you think we should get married? For that matter, where?” she asked, and he took a moment to think about his answer before telling her.

“May 22.” he said. “Not sure on the Where yet.”

“Why that day?” she asked, and he set down the knife he was using to slice tomatoes and dried his hands on a dishcloth before turning to face her.

“Well, you’ll be out of school for a long weekend for Memorial Day that next Monday, and Lessie can handle any missed work you’ll have from Thursday or Friday. Probably my most selfish reason is that it’s two days before my mother’s birthday. You know better than anyone that I make the trip down to Mystic Falls every year on her birthday to take a new bouquet of flowers to her grave site, with that being the one time of the year that we’re ever apart, and I want to make my next visit with the ability to tell her ‘Mother, I found the love of my life just like you said I would, and I hope that you’d be proud.’” Damon said, wrapping his arms around her waist and pulling her close. “I know how much you don’t want to go there until it’s absolutely necessary, but I’d love it if you made the trip with me this time.”

“In knowing how important this is to you, of course I’ll go with you.” Elena told him, and Damon smiled as he leaned in to kiss her.

“This isn’t any form of cooking that I know of, but do go on if this somehow works.” Klaus said as he entered the kitchen and headed straight to the refrigerator for a blood bag, and Damon and Elena jumped apart at the sound of his voice. “Mmm, Grayson is always good about remembering my AB-. I’m going to miss that about him, amongst other things.”

“But we have time before then, and we’re going to make the most of it.” Damon said, doing his best to remind the hybrid that Elena would be losing her father without saying the words.

“So, I’ve heard, and my calendar will be booked now that I know I have the wedding of the century to attend.” Klaus said with a smile aimed at his descendant. “I might be able to provide you with a potential location for the wedding if you didn’t find it objectionable.”

“The location or you offering it to us for the wedding?” Elena asked, a smile playing at her lips.

“Both.” Klaus told her with a chuckle before taking a more serious tone. “When you all told me the fate that awaits Grayson and Miranda in the near future, I was devastated. Not only are they the parents of my lite lys, but they have become the dearest of friends over the years that I have been a welcome part of their lives and family. Elena, dear, you and I have spoken at length about why I want my curse lifted ever since you were old enough to understand it; you know better than anyone that it isn’t my ability to create hybrids that makes me want to go through with it. The pain that being bound puts me through, it would kill me before any of my numerous enemies ever could. An army of hybrids, while it might be nice to someday have if the need were to arise, is nothing next to having a family that accepts me for what I am, and I would be a fool to give up on the one I have now.”

“What does this have to do with our wedding? Just curious?” Damon asked as Klaus paused to take a long drink from the blood bag.

“I was getting there, I promise.” Klaus insisted. “I know that, emancipated or not, you would be going to Mystic Falls with Jeremy because you would never abandon your brother, Elena, and that is where he will be going. So, if my family is moving back to Mystic Falls, then so am I; the house, mansion if you want me to be honest, is already under construction and will be finished by May if you would like to have the wedding there.”

“Would that be safe? If it’s your house, then can’t anyone theoretically get inside without an invitation?” Elena asked, and Klaus smirked.

“When did I ever say that the house was going in my name? I was actually thinking it’d be a smart idea to put it in your name…at least while you’re still human.” he told her, and Elena’s eyes went wide as she realized what he was saying.

“You would put your house in my name?” she asked, and he nodded.

“I wouldn’t want it to be anyone else. So, what do you say?” he asked, and Elena looked to Damon.

“I think this is a great idea. I mean, while Jenna will own the Gilbert house until Jeremy's eighteen, the Salvatore Boarding House has been in my name since Zach’s father died despite Milo’s descendants still living in it. If it wasn’t for the fact that I’ve never trusted Zach and wouldn’t put it past him to keep me out of my own house, I would’ve put it in his name years ago just to keep Katherine out if she ever showed up again.” Damon said, but his serious expression shifted into a smile as he segued into the crux of the matter. “As far as the wedding goes, it’ll be whatever Elena and I agree on together. In saying that, I do think that this would make things easier on Caroline as the wedding planner.”

“Then we just picked our date and location.” Elena said with a smile before kissing Damon again while Klaus chuckled.

“This still doesn’t look like any form of cooking I know of, so I’m just going to go back outside before I see something I shouldn’t and refuse to eat dinner.” he teased them before making his way towards the back door, throwing away the empty blood bag as he went.

Contrary to what Klaus had teased them about, Damon and Elena turned their attention back to dinner once he’d left and were back on track by the time Miranda made her way to the front door to let Liz and Jenna into the house. Damon called Jeremy in to set the table while he took the garlic bread from the oven, and Elena left to greet her aunts with her mother. Caroline fell into step with her as she went, having come inside along with Jeremy, and Elena could tell that her friend was happy to be reunited with her mother. When the two girls came up to the door, stopping just behind Miranda, the two blondes in the doorway were all smiles. Jenna hugged her sister and niece while Liz hugged her daughter. Jenna then brought Caroline in for a hug while Liz took her turn to hug her best friend and honorary niece.

“I hope we haven’t held up dinner. Traffic was a nightmare!” Jenna said as she grabbed her bag and moved further into the house.

“Damon just called Jeremy inside to set the table, so you’re right on time.” Elena said, and Jenna caught the reflexive smile on her niece’s face when the vampire was mentioned.

“Don’t start interrogating her, you two.” Miranda warned. “Grayson and I have some news to share, and Elena and Damon are a part of it.”

“I take it that this is going to be an after-dinner discussion?” Liz wondered aloud, and Miranda nodded.

“Let me grab my bag, Mom, and we can go over to our house while Damon’s finishing up in the kitchen.” Caroline said, and Liz agreed.

“The turkey’s in the cooler in the backseat, so make sure someone brings that inside?” she said to Miranda before following her daughter, and Miranda called for Elijah to retrieve the Thanksgiving entrée.

“What’s up with him?” Jenna asked as she set her bag down in her usual room, the eldest of the three present Originals giving her a pleasant greeting and whistling to himself as he passed by them on his way out to Liz’s car.

“Uncle Elijah? He’s got a girlfriend in New York, and she makes him happy. Plus, he and Grand-Klaus un-daggered Aunt Rebekah six months ago, and she’s here this year, too.” Elena answered.

“Elijah has a girlfriend, really? Vamp?” Jenna’s curiosity got the better of her.

“Witch…who’s also Damon’s niece along with being Elena’s teacher.” Miranda told her, and all three women fell into a fit of laughter.

A few hours later, ten of the combined eleven members of the vacationing party were gathered together in the living room for Grayson and Miranda’s announcement. The lone holdout was Damon who, to his benefit, was in the kitchen setting the turkey in the sink to finish thawing overnight. Once he was satisfied with the bird’s placement, he made his way over to the empty spot on the sofa beside Elena who, as soon as he was sitting down, curled herself into his side and interlaced her left hand with his right. Seeing the opportunity before him, Jeremy wiggled his way into the space between his sister and mother that Elena’s decision to cuddle with Damon had created, and this was enough to get a chuckle from Damon.

“You’re almost to big for that, buddy.” the vampire noted quietly as Grayson and Miranda began explaining recent events to Liz, Jenna, and Rebekah, and the teenage boy shrugged.

“Every time you say that, Elena finds a way to make more room for me.” he replied teasingly. “It would save a lot of time and space if she just sat in your lap, ya know.”

“Keep talking, and I will.” his sister threatened, and Jeremy held up his hands in defeat. “It’s a much better position for us to be in for making out anyway.”

“-nd Elena had another vision on Halloween.” the three heard Grayson say, pulling them all back into the conversation. “It wasn’t one any of us were particularly happy about, and we’re preparing to deal with the aftermath.”

“Grayson and I won’t likely be around by the time next summer gets here.” Miranda said, her eyes locked on her little sister as she spoke. “There are people, mainly vampires, who want something specific to happen, and it requires Elena being in Mystic Falls; this is all a part of their plan, and we don’t think that it can be stopped.”

“It’s two nights before Thanksgiving, and you’re telling me that my big sister is going to die before next summer and that there’s nothing I can do about it?” Jenna asked, her voice shaky. “Have you even tried? Is this why you started asking me if I’d be willing to move into your old house and take care of Jeremy if something happened to the pair of you? Did you know you were going to die when you asked me?”

“Yes, Jenna, to all of it. With the way we are going to die, there is no sure way to prevent it; we don’t even have a firm date for when this is going to happen. The timeframe we do have comes from another vision Elena had of her and Jeremy both attending Mystic Falls High next year.” Miranda said sharply. “I didn’t want to saddle you with all this responsibility, and I don’t think you’ll be on your own either, but I need to know that there are people I trust watching my children when I’m gone.”

“I don’t want you to be gone!” Jenna snapped back. “And what about Elena? If I’m only getting custody of Jeremy, what’s happening with her?”

“Elena and I will be moving back to Mystic Falls along with Jeremy, mostly because neither one of us could just abandon him, but we all discussed something different for her.” Damon said in a calm voice that Elena knew was hiding his worries about the reaction their engagement would get from Liz and Jenna.

“Damon and I are getting married, and Mom and Dad suggested it so that we could start the emancipation process after the first of the year.” Elena said, and the room went silent.

“You two suggested that your sixteen-year-old daughter get married, never mind to a vampire over a century-and-a-half old, instead of leaving her in your sister’s custody for a year?” Liz asked in disbelief. “Miranda, hon, are you sure?”

“Liz, we’re more than sure. This is all more of a legal formality that keeps John from being able to interfere too much than anything else because Damon and Elena were going to be entering a magical marriage anyway.” Miranda affirmed, looking to Elijah and Grayson for help when Liz, Jenna, and Caroline gave her confused looks.

“I’ll start.” Grayson said. “My brother was a careless idiot as a teenager and got his girlfriend, who lived a few towns over, pregnant when they were about sixteen. Isobel wasn’t ready or cut out to be a mother, and John isn’t a fatherly type, so Miranda and I adopted Elena; Liz, Jen, you both already know about the doppelgänger stuff, as it was a part of the explanation you got from Klaus and Elijah years ago as to why we trust them, and, Caroline, you were told last night, but what none of us knew until the beginning of October is that the soul magic that flows through all doppelgängers, however faint, is enough to have allowed a soulmate bond to form between Elena and Damon.”

“What does this have to do with them getting married, magically or normally?” Jenna asked, her confused expression mirroring Liz’s, while Caroline awed.

“The bond was identified by one witch before being confirmed by another. Because soul magic itself is so rare, soulmate bonds are only perceptible by extremely powerful witches such as Alessia and Rebekah, though we’re all certain that Sheila Bennett would have no issue seeing it either.” Elijah began, pausing to have an almost silent conversation with his siblings which audibly consisted of only a few hums of agreement from each Mikaelson sibling before continuing. “This type of bond, the bonded couple sees one another as an extension of themselves; they are the definition of one another’s other half to the point that, if one of the bonded were a witch, their powers could affect the other one. In Elena and Damon’s case, she’s able to see horrible events in his future just as she sees them in her own; this started before they ever met when Elena foresaw Katherine using another witch to make a newborn vampire look like Damon before unleashing him on the occupants of the Salvatore Boarding House when Elena herself was but two-years-old. They have been tied together since Elena was born, her birth having been enough to draw Damon back to Mystic Falls in June of 1992, and they would’ve decided to marry on their own in the future without Grayson and Miranda’s suggestion. All this does is ensure that they can die with the peace of mind that John Gilbert will have no say in what goes on in Elena’s life and that they get to witness their daughter getting married to the man she loves as living humans rather than as spirits.”

“The witch who identified the bond, how well do we trust her?” Liz asked, and Elijah’s eyes narrowed.

“Uncle Elijah, she doesn’t know. Don’t be rude.” Elena chastised the Original, and he sighed.

“My apologies, Liz, but we trust Alessia very much. Not only is she my girlfriend as of just over a week ago, but she’s also descended from Damon’s half-sister Mia; she informed Grayson and Miranda of the bond with hopes of breaking it because she thought Damon was responsible for the massacre in 1994, but she changed her mind when she realized that not only is Damon innocent of that particular crime, but also that Elena would go to extreme measures to keep the two of them together. As much as she is Gilbert or Petrova, Elena is also a Mikaelson; we don’t share well.” Elijah explained, and the sheriff chuckled.

“So, you’re dating Damon’s niece while he’s marrying yours? Did I just hear that correctly?” Liz asked, and Damon and Elijah nodded.

“We’re barely okay with it, but we’re all one great big messed-up family anyway.” Damon said, and Elijah agreed.

“And, in the spirit of family, I feel it only right to tell you that the Mikaelsons will be descending upon Mystic Falls around the time these three move back there from New York.” Klaus told the room with a smile. “The new Mikaelson mansion should be completed by early May, and it is intended to serve as a place where all of my family can feel safe.”

“Damon and I will also be getting married there towards the end of May since Klaus has offered it to us for the wedding.” Elena added, and Caroline squealed.

“When I come to visit you next month, we’re so going dress shopping!” she said excitedly, and Elena beamed back, finally excited about her own wedding.

“I’ll do my best to keep the council from becoming to suspicious.” Liz noted, knowing after all the years she’d been around the Mikaelsons and Damon that they would never hunt within Mystic Falls outside of an emergency situation.

“Can we get back to my sister and brother-in-law dying for a minute, not that I’m not happy for you guys?” Jenna asked, and the room sobered quickly.

“Jen, we don’t want to die, but the only sure-fire way to prevent us from dying soon would be to find and kill Katherine Pierce, but that’s easier said than done. She’s eluded Klaus, which very few have ever done, for five-hundred years; finding her in five months would be near-impossible.” Grayson told his sister-in-law, and Jenna frowned with tears shining in her eyes.

“That doesn’t mean I have to like it.” she responded sadly.

“None of us do.” Miranda said softly. “But we’re going to make the time we have left count for something.”

Hours later, while everyone else was sound asleep, Damon woke to the sound of someone breathing outside his and Elena’s door. Listening to the breathing pattern and heart rhythm, he knew it was Jeremy and carefully got out of bed as to not disturb his fiancée. Slipping out into the hallway, his heart broke as he came face-to-face with a crying teenage boy. Giving him a sad, understanding look, he wrapped an arm around the teen and led him towards the living room.

“Let’s go outside.” Damon said quietly, and Jeremy nodded as the vampire steered him out onto the back deck.

Once they sat down outside, Damon felt the teenager lean into him as he wept. The vampire sat there, softly saying as many reassurances as were needed that it was more than okay to let it all out, and held his surrogate little brother a gentle, familial embrace. Jeremy cried for a bit longer, knowing that Damon wouldn’t judge him, and Damon felt a little proud that Jeremy trusted him enough to fall apart like this. He’d practically raised the kid along with Grayson and Miranda, and they’d always had a brotherly/semi-paternal bond, so it wasn’t a surprise; even so, it still made him feel good that Jeremy did feel that safe with him. If he could be the younger boy’s sense of comfort, he’d be there every time without fail.

“Ready to talk about it?” he asked when the crying slowed, and Jeremy nodded slowly.

“We’ve talked about what’s gonna happen to Mom and Dad, but we’ve never talked about it as much as we did tonight.” Jeremy began, breathing in a long drag of cold November air before continuing. “Everyone was so concerned about Elena that I had time to think about what was going on, and I realized that I’m not ready to say goodbye. I’m fourteen, Damon, and I can’t just accept that I’m about to be an orphan.”

“Jer, buddy, you’re never ready.” Damon told him. “I won’t lie and say that it gets better. It doesn’t; I had ten years of knowing that my mother was dying, but I couldn’t even bring myself to go to her funeral when she was finally gone. Losing someone you love, especially your parents, hurts like hell. In fact, you’re going to go through every emotion in the book when it finally happens, but you have an advantage that a lot of people don’t either have or realize they have because you still have family. You, me, Elena, and Jenna…and probably Elijah, Klaus, Rebekah, and Alessia, are all gonna be there for each other while we grieve. Yes, when this happens Elena will be my wife, but that also makes you my brother-in-law. One day soon, you’ll get to meet my sister, and you’ll understand that my siblings, no matter what they do that might piss me off, mean the world to me. I love you just as much as I love Stefan and Mia, just as much as I loved Milo while he was alive, and I would never let you go through this on your own. I wouldn’t be a very good big brother if I did.”

“Thanks.” Jeremy said, not sure what else he could say for a moment before a small smile formed on his face. “For the record, dude, you’re the best brother a guy could hope for, and Mia and I can be the only siblings that count if Stefan doesn’t ever manage to come around and make peace with you.”

“Thanks, kid. Think you can get some sleep now?” Damon asked him, and Jeremy nodded. “Then let’s get back inside before you catch a cold.”

Jeremy didn’t protest as Damon pulled him to his feet and guided him back into the house. The teenager clapped the vampire on the shoulder one last time before going into his room, and the vampire waited until the younger boy was lying in bed before pulling the door closed and returning to his own bedroom and carefully getting back into bed beside his fiancée. Elena opened her eyes as he did so, and he smiled softly at her as she quickly shifted back into his arms.

“Go back to sleep, princess. I didn’t mean to wake you.” Damon told her.

“I know, but I felt you leave the bed. Is everything alright?” she asked, and he nodded.

“Yeah, everything’s fine. Jer just needed to talk.” he said, but he could see her concern for her brother in her eyes.

“Is he okay?” Elena asked him, and he sighed.

“Talking about what’s going to happen with your parents as much as we did tonight, probably seeing Jenna’s reaction to the news made it real for him. Understandably, he’s not ready to be an orphan and thinks that, after tonight’s conversation, you’ll be the focus when it happens.” Damon explained. “I got him calmed down and made it clear that, even though I will acknowledge that my wife will need me when _it_ happens, that doesn’t mean that my little brother’s going to need me any less. He’s not going to go through this alone…none of us are.”

While Wednesday had passed in a more somber fashion as the previous night’s conversation settled in everyone’s minds, Thanksgiving morning best fit the description of controlled chaos. Damon, Elijah, Miranda, and Liz took over the kitchen as soon as everyone had had at least one cup of coffee. Anyone who wasn’t cooking had been sent into the living room to watch the Macy’s parade, and Rebekah made sure to point out the irony of watching the parade on television at the beach house when they could’ve seen it in person if they’d been in New York where the Gilberts were already living. This sent Elena into storytelling mode, something Damon made sure to listen in on from the kitchen, as she explained what had gone wrong the one year that they had actually tried to do that. He knew the story already, having been there as it was the second Thanksgiving he’d spent with the Gilberts, but he loved listening to Elena tell stories no matter how many times he heard them.

“-nd the Barney balloon’s leg ripped open, and the police had to stab and stomp on this balloon to deflate it. Of course, then the Cat in the Hat balloon destroyed a lamppost and nearly killed a woman while several other people got hurt; the father of the snowman family balloons had his head blown off by the winds and didn’t get fixed until the next year’s parade. I was five, and Jeremy was three when this happened. Mom said she didn’t want us anywhere near the balloons after that, and Damon agreed. Dad decided we’d do Thanksgiving away from New York because it’s easier than arguing our safety with either of them.” she explained, giggling.

“You had nightmares of Barney and the Cat in the Hat being beat down by the NYPD for a week after that, Elena, so no way in hell would I let you go through that again!” Damon called out to her, and she giggled harder. “Jeremy still has the occasional headless snowman nightmare!”

“Thanks for the embarrassment, bro!” Jeremy called sarcastically, and Damon vamped over to ruffle his hair.

“That’s what I’m here for, Jer.” he teased before leaning over to peck Elena on the lips and vamping back into the kitchen.

“I’ve never minded coming here instead of going to New York for Thanksgiving.” Jenna said thoughtfully. “Everything’s more relaxed here.”

“Not to mention it’s closer to Whitmore so you don’t have to leave as early.” Grayson said, and his sister-in-law nodded.

“That too!” she agreed with a laugh before noticing the _TODAY Show_ hosts in mid-panic on screen. “Hey, what happened?”

Grayson turned up the volume for the humans’ benefit as it became apparent that something had happened, but the broadcast returned to normal a few moments later with the explanation that the booth had been hit by an out-of-control balloon. Given the previous topic of conversation, everyone burst into laughter. Klaus, who had been sitting on the floor in front of the armchair Rebekah sat in, leaned backward and smiled up at his sister.

“Congratulations, little sister, you’ve witnessed your first Thanksgiving Day Parade balloon disaster.” he told her, and she smiled back at him before turning her attention back to the television and enjoying the time they had to be a normal family.

After another few hours had gone by, it was finally time for dinner. Grayson carved the turkey, everyone filled their plates, and a light, happy feeling settled over them all as they ate. Towards the end of the meal, Klaus got everyone’s attention. He cleared his throat, took a breath, and let a sad smile come over his face.

“I know that, traditionally, this is the time when we all go around the table saying what we’re thankful for this year, but I think it’d be best if we get the one thing we all share out of the way before we start. Grayson, when you and my brother approached me fifteen years ago with Jonathan’s journal and your plan for saving Elena while seeing to it that Katherine gets hers, I had no idea that you and Miranda would become so important to me. You both are my family after all these years, and I know that everyone in this house is thankful that we got to have this time with you.” he said as he raised his glass in Grayson and Miranda’s direction.

“I guess I’ll start, then.” Grayson said, taking a moment to think on his answer before saying it aloud. “I’m thankful for time, for being given enough of it to see my children grow into wonderful, amazing individuals who have and will make me proud no matter what. Miranda?”

“I’m thankful for having such a loving family who, no matter how much they hate the inevitable, are strong enough to rally together and be there for each other when I cannot.” she said firmly before looking across the table to her sister. “Jen?”

“Klaus is right in saying that we’re all thankful for at least one same thing, so I’m going to skip that in favor of something a little lighter.” Jenna said. “I’m thankful that I can face the next traumatic part of my life knowing that I don’t have to try parenting two teenagers with zero help.”

Chuckles were heard around the table as the turn moved from Jenna to Jeremy who said, “I’m thankful for Damon being in my life. He’s my brother, my best friend, and my voice of reason when I get too in my own head. Thanks, Damon.”

“You’re welcome, Jer, and you’re a great little brother.” Damon responded, starting off his turn by ruffling Jeremy’s hair and smirking at the Original siblings before kissing Elena. “I’m thankful that the three non-neutralized Mikaelsons actually like me enough to not hate me on pure principle now that I’m engaged to their littlest Mikaelson.”

“As Elena is otherwise occupied, I’m skipping her. We can come back to her once they come up for air.” Rebekah teased before taking her turn. “I’m thankful to be awake, alive, and around family once more. It’s as simple as that.”

“Simple’s sometimes the best thing there is, and what I’m thankful for isn’t all too different from yours.” Liz said. “In a weird way, I’m thankful that my ex-husband ran off to spend the holiday with his boyfriend’s family. If he’d stayed, he’d have had Caroline with him this year, and we wouldn’t be here with all of you. When I took over Bill’s spot on the Founder’s Council, it was hard to stay quiet whenever the others discussed how all vampires are evil, soulless monsters who are completely incapable of any sort of empathy or compassion when I already knew that to be false; I’m thankful for knowing the four of you because that helps me not only stop myself from becoming as paranoid as Carol Lockwood, but it also helps me set a better example for my daughter.”

“Well, I am thankful for having such a great mom who’s shown me that we all have it in us to see the world in more than terms of Good and Evil, that just because someone’s a little different doesn’t mean that they’re not a person too.” Caroline said with a smile aimed at her mother before turning her head towards where Elena and Damon were now merely staring at one another rather than kissing as they had been. “I’m also thankful for having two great friends who decided to put their trust in me to make sure that their big day is picture perfect.”

“There’s no one else we’d trust more with this, Care.” Elena told her before taking her turn. “I’m thankful you’re my best girlfriend, and I’m also thankful that, between you, your mom, Aunt Jenna, and my Mikaelson family, I know that Damon, Jeremy, and I won’t be entirely alone when we move to Mystic Falls.”

“We would never abandon you three, lite lys.” Klaus said with a soft smile. “I am, as every year, thankful that my family has never, even when I deserved it, truly given up on me, but this year I am also thankful for the forgiveness of my little sister and the patience of my older brother. Thank you both.”

“You’re welcome, brother.” Elijah said, being the last to go this year. “I have to say that this year has been surprising for all of us, but I will be forever thankful for…Alessia?”

Elijah’s words tapered off into more of a question as his eyes flickered over towards the front door where it appeared his girlfriend was standing. The others turned to see her there as well, but Damon tensed when he realized that she wasn’t truly there. She was astral projecting.

“Lessie, what’s wrong?” he asked.

“You have to be careful when you come home. Katherine’s been here, or at least sent her spies, because I’ve heard from about six other witches about a strange witch they’d never seen in the city before asking around for something called the White Grimoire.” she answered, and Elena’s eyes went wide. “She said that her employer heard that someone went looking for it in the city and wanted the rumors checked out quickly.”

“That’s the thing the vampires who attacked me on Halloween were asking me for when they thought I was her!” she reminded Damon, and he nodded.

“The rumors are probably about it being Katherine who has it, only Katherine knows that she wasn’t in New York on Halloween and suspects that she might’ve found the doppelgänger.” the youngest vampire said, wrapping a protective arm around his fiancée.

“I just wanted to give you the warning before you came home, but we can talk more about this once you’re back.” Alessia said, and the Gilberts, Mikaelsons, and Damon agreed. “I should go before I’m forcibly yanked back to my mother’s.”

“Wait!” Elijah called, and the witch smiled as he vamped over to her and pressed a chaste kiss to her lips.

“So, you did tell them.” Alessia replied with a smile, and Elijah nodded.

“Given that Damon is getting married to my niece, we’ve come to an understanding.” he told her.

“Good.” the witch said simply. “I’ll see you soon.”

“Until we next meet.” the Original said as Alessia faded away, smiling as he returned to his seat.

“So, Elijah, what are you thankful for this year?” Damon asked teasingly, and the older vampire smirked before responding.

“I think what I said was sufficient.” Elijah said, getting a chuckle from everyone at the table as the meal continued.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Happy Holidays, sweets! Until next time...XOXO


	7. Volo Enim Omnes Vos Esse de Nativitate

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "'Cause I just want you here tonight/Holding on to me so tight/What more can I do?/Baby, all I want for Christmas is you/You, baby..."  
> -"All I Want for Christmas is You," by Mariah Carey

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N:Okay, sweets, if you made it this far and either like or sympathize with Isobel, you might want to turn away before you read the not-so-nice things Elena has to say about her birth mother in this chapter.

“Are you sure this is a good idea?” Rebekah asked her brothers as they stood over the body lying in the guest room of their New York residence.

“Elena said she had a vision of Finn trying to kill her. It’s best that we get as many people as possible on our side now so that if he ever does wake, he can’t hurt her.” Klaus reminded his sister.

“Yes, but the least predictable of us all who, might I add, could very likely actually try killing you when he opens his eyes?” she challenged, and Elijah sighed.

“Which is exactly why we’re both here, Rebekah, to show that Klaus doesn’t intend to hurt him.” he said, and his sister swallowed.

“I hope you’re right, brothers. This is one time where I don’t want to be able to say, ‘I told you so.’” she replied, and Elijah gave Klaus a nod, prompting the hybrid to grab ahold of the dagger in the body on the bed and remove it.

The body gave a lurch as the youngest of the Original brothers began to wake. He sat up and let out a loud gasp, his eyes narrowing as he saw Klaus at the end of the bed. Immediately, Rebekah and Elijah were on either side of him with their hands clamped down on his shoulders. Klaus took the blood bag from the dresser and offered it to his younger brother.

“Peace, Kol, none of us are here to harm you.” he said as the youngest of the Mikaelson siblings eyed the blood suspiciously. “Drink, brother, you’ll need your strength.”

“He’s right, big brother, we have much to do before Christmas.” Rebekah said, gently stroking Kol’s hair as he accepted the blood from Klaus and drained the pack swiftly.

“Christmas? I thought we already celebrated that?” he asked hoarsely looking at each of his three present siblings. “How long have I been down this time?”

“It’s been ninety-four years, Kol, and Klaus is sorry. Well, not for defending himself in so much as he is for hurting you.” Elijah answered, doing his usual job of maintaining the peace. “I am sorry that I took part in hurting you, but I will not apologize for doing what was necessary to keep my brothers from killing one another.”

“You’ve always been the peacemaker, Elijah, so why should we ever expect anything different?” Kol asked him with the ghost of a smile. “Was this your idea or Rebekah’s?”

“Neither, actually.” a voice unfamiliar to Kol spoke, and he looked up just as Elena pushed herself off the far wall and walked over to the rest of her family. “It was mine.”

“Katerina?” Kol asked, but Elena shook her head.

“Though I am related to her, I am not Katerina or Katherine; my name is Elena.” she told him calmly, not as frustrated with her uncle for not recognizing her as (mostly) human given his frailty.

“Why would you let them undagger me, Elena? Do you know who I am?” he asked, and she nodded.

“Of course, I know who you are, and I thought this through before I said anything to Uncle Elijah about even attempting this. You’re my Uncle Kol.” she told him, and he looked at each of his siblings in confusion. “You’re the wildest of the Mikaelson clan, but you’re also the Mikaelson most likely to do what’s right over what’s easy any day of the week even if it hurts someone you love.”

“What?” he asked, confused by her apt description of himself. “How?”

“The spell that Mother used to bind my werewolf half came from the same source as the one she used to turn is into vampires, and its power came from doppelgänger blood, specifically Tatia’s blood. Mother wanted Tatia dead so that I could never undo my curse, for she thought that ending Tatia would end the doppelgänger line necessary for breaking it. What Mother didn’t know, or what I thought she didn’t know, was that Tatia had given birth to a daughter, _my_ daughter, during the time between her making her initial plans to bind my werewolf side and us being turned; she always knew that it would surface at some point, and she wanted to keep the truth hidden for as long as she could, but Henrik’s death threw everything into chaos and caused her to put my binding on the back burner while she figured out how to keep us all from dying. Elijah knew about Ylva, and, at Tatia’s request, he ensured Ylva was hidden away from Mother after he killed Tatia; through my daughter’s line, Tatia ensured that none of her descendants would become werewolves and that the doppelgängers were allowed to continue, and Elena is not only of my direct descent but also the current Petrova doppelgänger. She’s not quite human, which makes her useless in the ritual, but she is family, which is why she’s here today.” Klaus explained as he wrapped an arm around Elena.

“Which is Klaus-speak for Elena is here because we all love her and don’t want to see her harmed.” Elijah said with a smirk.

“Who would harm a Mikaelson?” Kol asked. “Is someone that stupid?”

“In a word, Finn.” Rebekah answered.

“Is that why he isn’t at my beside like the rest of you?” Kol responded with a snort.

“No, he’s not here because he’s locked in a secure location in the exact same state you were an hour ago.” Klaus admitted. “The fact that he would dare to harm Elena is enough reason for me to keep him neutralized for as long as is necessary.”

“Has he tried harming her, or did a witch profess it?” the youngest Original asked, and his siblings shared a look before turning to the brunette girl at Klaus’ side.

“A few weeks ago, we ran into Sage while out at a bar. Elena recognized her from a vision she’d had years ago of Sage helping Finn in his attempts at killing her.” Elijah said with a sigh. “She isn’t a full witch, though she could become close to one should she receive more training from a reasonably accomplished or former witch, but Elena has some magical power stemming from being the descendant of both the Mikaelson and Petrova lines. Everything she sees, however, is some awful event in her future.”

“Did you say, Klaus, that it was Elijah who killed Tatia and not Mother?” Kol asked after taking a moment to process what his brothers had said.

“Yes, as a matter of fact, I did. While we’re at it, I suppose that I should tell you what I told Rebekah seven months ago when Elijah and I revived her: I killed Mother.” Klaus admitted.

“Why did you kill Mother? What happened to Tatia? I feel so confused by all this.” Kol wondered, leaning into Rebekah’s touch as she continued stroking his hair.

“My binding was your father’s idea, Kol, but it was because my being a werewolf proved that I was Ansel’s son and not his. Mother bound me a year after we became vampires, but she had been planning it since I was a boy. She saved some of Tatia’s blood from when she’d turned us to use in her binding spell, and she thought that it could never be undone because Tatia was dead. She wanted Elijah to kill her so that my curse would be permanent, and I was under the assumption that Mother never knew about Ylva’s birth. The night Tatia died was Ylva’s first birthday, and I’d taken her out that night to look at the stars while Tatia and Elijah…well, that’s not important to the story. Either way, Elijah lost control when he tried drinking from her, and Tatia died in the process. Her last moments were spent telling Elijah about Mother’s plan, explaining how she’d prevented my werewolf gene from ever being passed down through our daughter’s line, and begging him to get Ylva far away before Mother realized that the Petrova doppelgänger line would continue. Elijah and I gave Tatia a proper funeral before he spirited my daughter away while I planned out how to stop Mother’s plots. I proved to be too late for that, but I ended up choking her for what she’d done, especially after she admitted to having known about Ylva and tasking Finn with seeing to it that she was killed before she could bear a child of her own to continue the line. I put the blame on Mikael because it was easy at the time to do it, because I was angry with him for being the one to suggest I be bound in the first place, and because I wanted all of you to hate him in that moment as much as I did. Elijah got me to confess a few centuries later, but I feared telling the rest of you the truth. Well, you and Rebekah, but I’ve always known that Finn would be the one who would be the most angry with me. I believe this is why, should he be undaggered at some point, Finn will try to kill Elena, to finish the task Mother assigned him before her death and to inflict the most pain on me because I don't hide that I do love my granddaughter.” Klaus told his story, bracing himself for his brother’s wrath, but it never came.

Instead of Kol’s anger, Klaus looked up to see hurt, sadness, and disbelief shining behind his brother’s dark orbs. Shakily, Kol swung his legs off the bed and stood up with a bit of help from Elijah and Rebekah before crossing the room, slow even for a human, and pulling Klaus into a rare hug between them. When they parted, Kol held onto his brother’s shoulders for balance.

“While I don’t agree with you killing Mother, I don’t agree with Father wanting your true nature bound or Mother and Finn conspiring to kill an innocent girl more. I appreciate your honesty about this, brother, and I will help you should Finn ever become undaggered.” Kol said firmly, and Klaus’ shoulders sagged slightly in relief as Elijah and Rebekah walked over to force Kol back into the bed and Elena got him another blood bag.

“We were serious about there being lots to do before Christmas, Uncle Kol.” Elena told him as she handed him the blood.

“Oh, really?” Kol asked as he finished the blood, and his niece nodded.

“You have a few days before we have anything major as a family, so you’ll have a chance to get used to the new millennium, but we have a family dinner this weekend so you and Aunt Rebekah can formally meet Uncle Elijah’s girlfriend. We also have tickets to the ballet, _The Nutcracker_ , the following Friday, and then Uncle Elijah is taking all the guys to get fitted for their tuxes while my best friend, Caroline, drags us ladies dress shopping for my wedding dress.” she said, smiling at the way her uncle blinked in surprise. “Of course, then there’s Christmas shopping and Christmas itself, so you’ll have plenty of time to do that in between everything else.”

“Your wedding dress? I know that, by modern standards even last century, I was turned rather young, and you look younger than me. Why are you getting married?” he asked, and Elena smiled as she straightened up and spoke to the person lingering outside the door.

“He won’t hate you, and no one else in this room would let you get hurt. You might as well join us.” she called, and the door opened enough for Damon to slip in and close it softly behind him before crossing the room to stand at Elena’s side.

“Do I know you?” Kol asked Damon, eyes narrowing as Elena allowed the youngest vampire to wrap his arms around her.

“Uncle Kol, this is Damon Salvatore, my fiancé. You met once back in 1912 via Sage.” she introduced them, and Kol’s eyes went wide as he turned towards Klaus.

“You’re letting your granddaughter marry Sage’s favorite pet?” he asked, and Klaus shrugged.

“I don’t really make decisions concerning Elena’s love life, and Damon has been loyal and entirely devoted to Elena for twelve years. A trusted witch has identified the soulmates bond between them, and none of us wish to stand in the way of their love.” the Original hybrid said, and Kol turned back to the couple.

“Ah, yes, I can see that now. Well, I can see what my limited magic allows me to see given how much of my magic I lost upon being turned.” he said, sounding only slightly bitter. “How well do we know this _trusted_ witch?”

“She’s my niece, well, five-times-great-niece.” Damon said at the same time Elijah said, “She’s my girlfriend.”

“Let me see if I get this right.” Kol responded, looking between Elijah and Damon, his eyes finally settling on his brother as Rebekah laughed. “You’re dating the great-niece of the man who’s going to marry our great-niece? And everyone is okay with this?”

“You brought our sister as your date to the Christmas party in 1914, and you’re last relationship that was more than a fling was with my adopted son, so you two don’t have much room to talk. Who Alessia is related to should be irrelevant to you given the fact that I haven’t seen Elijah this happy since Katerina, and I know you haven’t either.” Klaus pointed out, and both of his younger siblings fell momentarily silent.

“I didn’t know Freya was our sister, and it’s not like I kissed her or anything.” Kol defended himself, being the first to speak after Klaus’ words had sunk in fully.

“I happen to love Marcel, and we never would’ve been run out of New Orleans by Father if I hadn’t wanted to be sure that you all would accept us.” Rebekah added.

“As interesting as this lesson in family history is, Elena and Damon need to be going. We do have a party to attend this evening.” Elijah cut in, looking over at the couple. “I’ll be picking Alessia up in an hour or so, and we’ll see you at the gala.”

“What party is this?” Kol asked.

“Don’t worry, you’re not going.” Klaus said, chuckling at his younger brother. “The hospital that Elena’s father works at hosts a charity gala every year at Christmastime, and each doctor is given a certain amount of tickets for the event that they’re supposed to give out to wealthy connections likely to donate. Usually, Elijah and I go, with Damon staying home with Elena and Jeremy, but Elena’s old enough to go this year and we felt that it would serve her well to attend as practice for life in Mystic Falls as the daughter of a Founding Family and such, so I will be the one staying in with her brother this evening. You will be staying here with Rebekah, and she is going to start catching you up on modern times.”

“Caroline got in a few hours ago, Klaus, so she’ll be there too. Just a warning.” Damon said, and Klaus sighed.

“Who is Caroline? Elena’s best friend?” Kol asked for confirmation, and Elena nodded. “And Klaus…doesn’t get along with her?”

“I get on just fine with Caroline Forbes, brother, but she does admittedly intimidate me somewhat. I have no doubt she’s brought a binder or three full of wedding details that I have to agree to in so far as the décor and what I’m willing to allow my home to look like for Damon and Elena’s special day.” the hybrid said. “Though, this does give me the opportunity to look over the guest list.”

“The guest list, really? What interest is that to you?” Rebekah asked with a snort of laughter.

“It’s of immense interest, sister, as I have discussed the importance of this wedding with Damon and Elena more than once since Thanksgiving.” Klaus responded with an eye-roll. “We are the Originals, and I am the Original Hybrid, so our family has quite the reputation in the supernatural community. We are the only ones who know how to kill or incapacitate one another, so most who see us as more than fairy stories see us as gods. They look to us as the standard bearers and de-facto law makers of our world,or they at least would if we were more involved, but that is a discussion for another day. Ultimately, this wedding is societally important for our kind.”

“It’s the royal wedding of vampire society.” Damon summarized, and Elena giggled.

“It’s even complete with a princess and her perfectly dark prince.” she added as the two shared a short, chaste kiss before being reminded of the time by Elijah. “Oh, right, we need to get home and get ready.”

“Let Caroline and Jeremy know I’ll be over soon?” Klaus asked, and Elena nodded before hugging him and walking out the door with Damon.

“Okay, I just saw Klaus let himself be hugged. Tell me the truth, I’m dead, aren’t I?” Kol asked as the door closed, and his siblings laughed.

Charity functions were not something that Elena had thought about much in her short life. She knew her parents attended them, and her mother taught her all the necessary manners for them when she was still a small child, but she had attended very few of these events in her life due to having Damon as a live-in babysitter. She knew that returning to Mystic Falls would have a degree of expectation about these types of events, especially once she’d be not only the eldest daughter of one Founding Family but also be married to the eldest son of another. Plus, if what she’d heard from Caroline held even the slimmest degree of truth to it, she was also aware that Klaus was doing very little to hide his presence as the new, mysterious, wealthy resident of the town with the progress being made on the Mikaelson Mansion; with his increased use of the title over the last few weeks since Thanksgiving, it was clear to Elena that Klaus wasn’t kidding about her being the “littlest Mikaelson,” and she was sure that it wouldn’t take long for Mystic Falls society to discover this either.

“-lena, baby, everything okay?” she blinked, returning to the present from her thoughts as Damon said her name, and let out a breath she hadn’t realized she’d been holding.

“I was just thinking about how I should’ve taken my mom’s lessons about events a little more seriously as a kid.” she told him, and he smiled knowingly before placing a kiss to her delicately arranged hair. “Mystic Falls society is going to eat me alive.”

“You won’t face it alone, princess, I promise.” he responded. “And, no, it’s not too much.”

“I hadn’t even asked yet.” Elena remarked as she observed her reflection in the mirror, hands running over the shimmering silver satin fabric of her gown.

“You’re beautiful, Elena, and the cut of the dress accentuates you perfectly. I have no doubt that you’ll be the most beautiful woman in the room tonight.” Damon said, wrapping his arms around her middle and resting his chin on her shoulder. “In fact, I might just rack up more points than Elijah.”

Elena giggled and turned in Damon’s arms to where she could kiss him on the lips. He kissed her back eagerly, but their moment was interrupted when a knock sounded on the door. He knew by the sound of the heartbeat and barely muffled snickers that it was Jeremy, so he vamped over to the door and opened it so that the teenager would stumble through it before catching himself and straightening up with his smirk still in place.

“What, Jer?” Damon asked, shaking his head at Elena while she giggled softly.

“Dude, you both live here, so it’s not like you won’t have the chance to do things I don’t wanna know about with my sister later. Right now, you guys have to be dressed and on your way out the door. Oh, and Aunt Jenna’s date is here; Mom’s being super weird about the guy, so we might need Damon if things get outta hand down there.” Jeremy said, and the pair sighed.

“As long as she didn’t do something stupid and track down Logan Fell, I think we’re good.” the vampire said dryly as the trio made their way downstairs to where the Gilbert parents and Jenna were talking with Caroline and a man who made Damon freeze in place halfway down the staircase and swallow. “I stand corrected.”

“Who is he?” Elena asked quietly.

“Well, princess, that would be your technical stepfather and Isobel’s ex-husband. I didn’t even know he and Jenna knew one another.” Damon told her, and she let out a gasp that attracted the others’ attention.

“You!” the man hissed, and Damon turned to Elena and Jeremy.

“Go back upstairs, both of you, now.” he ordered. “Caroline, you should go with them.”

“Hell no!” Elena exclaimed. “I’m staying where I can see you, and I won’t be convinced otherwise!”

“It’s best to not argue with a Mikaelson or Petrova woman, mate.” came Klaus’ voice as he entered the apartment. “What are we fighting about, hm?”

“He’s a vampire and killed my wife!” Jenna’s date snapped, pointing accusatorily at Damon who, in turn, narrowed his eyes and spoke harshly.

“I didn’t touch that bitch, and she’s not dead. She asked me to turn her, and I refused. I gave her the number of someone who would turn her, but I told her that it was probably the biggest mistake she’d ever make. Not only did it destroy you, obviously, but her choice to become a vampire and turn off her humanity the second she got her thirst under control devastated her daughter because it was the final nail in Isobel’s proverbial coffin to prove that she honestly never cared about the baby she gave up at sixteen.” the vampire said, and the man’s eyes narrowed.

“You’re lying! Isobel never had a daughter.” he said, reaching into his pocket for a stake, but Elena moved in front of Damon before Alaric could strike.

“Yes, she did, and I’m standing right here.” she said firmly. “My mother got knocked up by her high school boyfriend from a few towns over, didn’t want me, and willingly handed me over to my birth father’s brother and sister-in-law after I was born. She left town three days later and never looked back. Last year, when she came here to find Damon, he told her that I was here, too, but she refused to see me; in fact, she actually referred to me as the result of a drunken summer mistake not knowing that I was on the other side of the door. Isobel Fleming is a cold, heartless bitch who wouldn’t deserve revenge for her death if she actually were dead.”

Elena’s resolve broke as she neared the end of her statement, and Damon wrapped his arms around her as she turned to hide her face in his chest. He could see Alaric’s hurt and confusion as well as Jenna’s annoyance, Miranda’s resign, and Grayson’s mild amusement. He raised an eyebrow at Grayson, but the doctor merely shrugged. Damon knew he’d been waiting for the day someone drew Elena’s ire at full force, but this still wasn’t it.

“Shh, sweetheart, it’s alright. I’ve got you, and everything’s fine.” Damon whispered softly as he pressed a kiss to Elena’s temple. “Go upstairs with Care and fix your makeup. Klaus won’t let me get hurt, if only because he loves you, so I’ll be fine.”

Elena nodded, and Caroline crossed the room as fast as a human could to accompany the doppelgänger back up the staircase. Damon and Jeremy made their way down to where everyone else stood, and Damon took a step towards Klaus as Alaric seemed to regain his composure. Given how he’d been himself after Grayson had told him the truth about Katherine, the vampire couldn’t blame the hunter at all.

“I told you this would happen if you invited him, Jen.” Miranda said, breaking the silence, and Jenna began laughing.

“I didn’t think he’d try killing Damon on sight, Mir.” the younger Sommers sister replied. “I thought he’d stalk him for a while first.”

“You knew?” Alaric asked her, and the blonde nodded. “And you invited me to this gala anyway?”

“I found out the truth when Damon moved in here. I came up for Christmas, and Miranda had Grayson sit me down and explain everything about vampires, the Mystic Falls founders, and Elena’s adoption. Damon tracked you down a year ago after Isobel’s visit, and, when I realized that I knew you, Ric, I wanted to keep you from killing the guy who’s technically your step-son-in-law. Well, and I also wanted to spend time with you since we hadn’t really seen each other since just after Isobel left.” Jenna explained.

“When did you two meet?” Damon asked, and Jenna smirked.

“Surprised that I got that one past you?” she asked before answering him. “Logan did a semester at Whitmore before transferring to whatever Ivy League atrocity his parents sent him to, so I did a semester at Duke to make sure I avoided him. I took Ric’s Occult Studies class because it was an easy A for someone who already knew about the supernatural. Since I was _such_ a bright student, we ended up becoming friends. Of course, Isobel knew who I was and always suspected that I was trying to either steal Ric away as revenge for her stealing John, not that I actually cared, or expose her dark secret of having been a teen mom.”

“Logan Fell and John Gilbert? Jenna, we have got to improve on your taste in men!” Damon teased, and Jenna rolled her eyes.

“Says the guy who’s spent twelve years as celibate as a nun because he was unknowingly waiting for his soulmate to be old enough for a relationship to not be weird!” she responded, and the vampire shrugged knowing that she was only saying what was true.

“These two are who you’re leaving as my co-guardians? Really?” Jeremy asked his parents, gesturing to his aunt and Damon, with a laugh.

“Co-guardians?” Alaric asked, and Jenna and Damon shrugged.

“Damon had more parenting experience than I do, but I’m the one most people expect to be listed as his guardian in the event of Grayson and Miranda’s deaths, so we reached a compromise after Thanksgiving.” Jenna said, Damon nodding along with her statement.

“Isobel’s ancestors, which include myself, were witches. Elena is the first in many generations to tap into that power in even the slightest manner, but this is unfortunately manifesting in visions of horrible events to come in her dreams. She’s foreseen her mum and dad dying in a matter of months, and we’re trying to make sure that every moment this family has together before then is well spent.” Klaus said, and Alaric turned to look at him for the first time that night.

“Who are you exactly?” he asked, and Klaus smirked.

“I’m, by all accounts, Elena’s thirty-second-great-grandfather on Isobel’s side. My name is Niklaus Mikaelson, but most people who I keep around long enough just call me Klaus.” the hybrid answered. “I’m one of the six Original vampires and the only Original Hybrid.”

“His brother, Elijah, is meeting us at the gala with his girlfriend, my five-times-great-niece Alessia Salvatore, just to warn you.” Damon added

“Did Jenna just say that you’re married to Elena?” Alaric asked, his brain catching up with the situation.

“It won’t be official until May, but pretty much, yeah.” Damon told him. “She’s the reason I wouldn’t turn Isobel that night. I knew how much she would end up hurting Elena by making that choice, and I refused to be a part of causing Elena pain. I’d personally rather stake myself than hurt her.”

“I-I-I…I’m sorry, Damon, for trying to kill you. I had no idea about all this, but my source seemed so sure that you’d been the one to kill Isobel…which, of course, he was lying to me because he’s probably also aware of you living here.”

“Who’s your source?” Grayson asked, the sinking feeling in his stomach telling him that he already knew.

“John Gilbert who, if I’m assuming correctly, is your brother and Elena’s birth father.” Alaric said, and Grayson swore under his breath.

“Okay, I think it’s official. Your brothers may be three different types of ridiculous at any given time, and yours may be a Ripper when he’s off the wagon, but I win Who’s Brother is the Biggest Dumbass.” he said to Klaus and Damon, both of whom chuckled along with Jeremy, Jenna, and Miranda.

“That may be true, but let’s table that for another discussion. As for tonight, I say we start over from the beginning.” Damon said as he turned to Alaric and held out his hand. “Hi, I’m Damon Salvatore, Grayson and Miranda’s son-in-law.”

“Hi, Damon, it’s nice to meet you. I’m Alaric Saltzman, Jenna’s friend and date for the evening.” Alaric replied, seeing what Damon was doing and shaking his hand for a moment before the vampire sped back over to the foot of the stairs where Elena and Caroline were making their way back down slowly.

“We’ll talk later, I promise, but I just want to enjoy tonight first.” Elena said as she linked her arm through Damon’s.

“Then that is what we’ll do, princess.” Damon told her, and she smiled. “You still look absolutely breathtaking.”

An hour and a glass of wine into the gala, Elena was significantly less tense than she had been before they’d stepped out of the apartment. She managed to avoid Alaric for the most part, her time being mostly occupied by dances with both Damon and Elijah, and she allowed herself time to think about her mother’s ex-husband. She’d heard his admissions of having gotten his information from John and his apology to Damon, and she was sure that she’d forgive him, but she also pitied him. Alaric had _loved_ Isobel, but she’d walked out on him as easily as she’d handed Elena off to Grayson and Miranda; it was just another reason for Elena to be disappointed in her mother’s choices. She just hoped that she wouldn’t be another Petrova woman in their long line of breaking men’s hearts with their own selfish choices.

“Penny for your thoughts, love?” Elijah asked as they danced, noticing the way his niece’s eyes flickered over to Alaric every so often.

“I won’t be like them, the other Petrova women, will I?” she asked, and he frowned.

“In what way, Elena?” he posed, and she sighed.

“I don’t wanna be the girl who makes a selfish choice that destroys the love of her life. If I ever hurt Damon like that, I don’t know that I’d physically be able to handle it.” she told her uncle.

“Then you already know your answer.” he said, pressing a kiss to her forehead as their dance ended. “You are no one but Elena, my dear, and you are only ever truly selfish when it comes to Damon. I don’t believe that you have much cause for worry.”

Elena thought about this as she made her way over to their group’s table where her mother and aunt were sitting together and talking animatedly about something. She didn’t join their conversation, choosing instead to check her phone to see a text message from Klaus asking how much longer everyone would be too occupied to save him from Caroline and her checklists. Giggling at the message, she text him back and told him that there were still another two hours at least before they’d be home. When she looked up from her phone, however, her laughter came to a grinding halt. She knew to expect it at some point, as it was always a possibility, but she couldn’t stop the growl that escaped her lips as she saw a woman coming onto Damon over by the bar. Slipping her phone back into her purse, she stood up forcefully, drawing her mother and aunt’s attention.

“Have you had the pleasure of witnessing this yet, Jen?” Miranda asked, and her sister shook her head.

“I have not, but I’m eager to see it play out now that I’ve got a front row seat.” Jenna responded, and Elena steeled herself before walking across the room to where her fiancé was doing his best to tell the raven-haired woman in a red dress with a plunging neckline to leave him be without compelling her.

“-m sure you’re a great person and all, but I’m not interested.” Damon said, turning to accept the lowball of bourbon and the wine glass full of Elena’s preferred dark red from the bartender.

“A single guy like you? Not likely.” the woman said, attempting to reach for the glass of wine only to have it intercepted by Elena.

“Thank you, baby. You’re so sweet.” Elena said as she took the glass from Damon and pulled his face down to hers for a kiss.

“Like I said, I’m not interested. Also, I never once said that I was single.” Damon repeated to the woman while wrapping an arm around Elena’s waist, and the woman hurried away before Elena could even think about compelling her.

“So, now that that’s taken care of, Klaus is almost regretting his decision to work on the guest list with Caroline.” Elena said as she took a long drink from her glass.

“Somehow, I’m not surprised.” Damon remarked. “Who’s all on it anyway, and shouldn’t we get the final say with it being our wedding?”

“We do have the final say, but I’m not sure who all Klaus has deemed it necessary to invite.” she told him.

“I’m sure your parents wouldn’t mind if we bailed a little early to go save him.” he replied, but she shook her head.

“This could be the only event I go to with my parents, and I don’t want to cut it short for something that can be handled tomorrow.” Elena said, biting her lip before lowering her voice to where only he would hear her. “Plus, I wasn’t really planning on interacting with other people once we got home. I had hoped that we could pick up where we left off before Jeremy knocked on our door.”

“Oh, you mean me doing all of those things to you that Jer never wants to know about us doing? Sounds like the perfect way to end the night to me.” Damon said just as quietly, and she giggled.

“This is just another thing I’m gonna miss when we move to Mystic Falls.” she told him.

“Why would you be missing this? I’m going to be there with you, and I wasn’t aware that I wouldn’t be able to constantly shower my wife with affection.” he said somewhat teasingly.

“I know, and you should totally shower your wife with affection every chance you get, but when Care and I were talking earlier, she mentioned how Klaus hasn’t exactly been subtle about being Mystic Falls’ newest, wealthiest resident. I’m a Gilbert and a Mikaelson already, so how do you think it’s going to look to the whole of Mystic Falls aside from the Mikaelsons, Forbes, and Bennetts when I’m also a Salvatore? Although, I’m more worried about what they’d say about you than what they’d say about me.” she explained.

“What would they say about me?” he asked, confused.

“What would the populous of any small, southern town say when a sexy, rich twenty-five-year-old man comes to town with his seventeen-year-old wife? They’d expect for me to be pregnant or for us to have had an arranged marriage. Hell, given that it’s Mystic Falls, the Founders’ Council might just assume that we’re vampires or, at the very least, you’re a vampire who’s compelled me into being your compliant sex slave.” Elena told him, and he gave a short nod of understanding.

“Well, for starters, you forgot to mention how my wife is not only my literal soulmate who only has a handful of years left as a human, but is also super sexy, especially when she’s jealous.” Damon said, ensuring that he got a smile out of Elena before he turned back to the more serious side of the conversation. “But if you’re this worried about it, there are two solutions. Either we can A) not get married, or B) keep our relationship a secret until we’ve been in town for a while and gained most people’s trust.”

“We’re going with Option B, no question.” Elena said without hesitation. “I’m sorry, but there’s no way I’m not marrying you. In five months, you will be my husband, and I will be your wife. Forever is a long time, baby, and you’re stuck with me for all of it.”

“There’s no one I’d rather be stuck with than you, princess.” he said honestly.

“You’d still be living with me, Jer, and Aunt Jenna, right?” she asked, and he nodded.

“As Jeremy’s co-guardian along with Jenna, it would be for the best.” he said, watching her reaction to his words. “Given that it’s a four-bedroom house, I was thinking that Jer would get the room with the Jack-and-Jill bathroom attached to the spare room that we’d turn into your writing room, Jenna would get the smaller bedroom with an ensuite and we’d get the master with its ensuite.”

“I’d have a writing room?” she asked, and he nodded.

“You’ve always talked about having one in your house once you were all grown up, which you are, and I’ve said it plenty enough times for you to remember it: whatever my dark princess wants, my dark princess gets.” he said, proving once again how well he knew her. “We’ll also turn the room closest to our bedroom at the boarding house into an office for you as well.”

“It can be an office for now, but maybe it can be a nursery in the future when we start looking into adopting a baby?” she suggested, and he smiled.

“A nursery sounds like a wonderful idea.” he told her, his mind briefly flashing back to what Alessia’s friend Rachel had told him that day in the park.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Our Mikaelson Fab Four are reunited at last! Alaric has some things to think about, but don't worry too much, sweets. He'll be back before you know it! Until next time...XOXO


	8. Et Hoc Ecce Ego Do Coram Simplex Sententia

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "And so, I'm offering this simple phrase/To kids from one to ninety-two/Although it's been said, many times, many ways/Merry Christmas, Merry Christmas/Merry Christmas to you..."  
> -"The Christmas Song (Chestnuts Roasting on an Open Fire)," by Nat King Cole

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Happy Holidays, sweets!

Elena groaned as she woke to the sound of Caroline knocking on hers and Damon’s bedroom door. It had been a week-and-a-half since the gala, and it was finally the day that had been set aside for dress shopping. The dinner that they’d planned for Elijah to introduce his youngest two siblings to his girlfriend had ended up being postponed when Elijah had gotten a lead on finding the Cure and taken off with Klaus on a jaunt to Turkey that Thursday night that they had only returned from the night before having just missed the group outing to the New York City Ballet, so dress shopping would be the first time Rebekah would meet Alessia while Kol would meet her at the Mikaelson Christmas party scheduled for that night which Klaus had tasked Rebekah with organizing.

“Elena, you have forty-five minutes to be out of bed and dressed, or else we’ll be late!” Caroline snapped through the door, and Elena let out another groan as she rolled over to see Damon looking just as frustrated with their friend as she was.

“Haven’t we told her enough times that we can hear her just fine without her shouting?” he asked sleepily, his face scrunched up in discomfort.

“You’re cute when you’re annoyed.” Elena responded, her comment enough to make him open his eyes to glare at her.

“Did you just call me cute?” Damon asked, and Elena nodded. “Cute is how you describe a puppy or a baby, not a vampire.”

“It’s how I describe my vampire fiancé when he’s making annoyed, sleepy faces early in the morning.” she countered. “Besides, my parents never got me a puppy when I was a little girl. They gave me a little brother and a vampire.”

“Our kids are gonna have a puppy, and I’ll snap Stefan’s neck if he tries to eat it. A dog is clearly not Bambi or Thumper.” he said as he pulled her towards him. “We’ll adopt a puppy once we start looking into adoption agencies.”

“As much as I absolutely love everything you just said, are you sure about your brother being in your life again? Stefan is still expecting you to live up to your promise of an eternity of misery for forcing you to become a vampire, and he’s a recovering addict who you said is due to fall off the wagon again soon.” she asked, and he smiled sadly.

“I _know_ he’ll fall of the wagon because you already saw it happening, but he’s always gonna be my little brother. Stef’s gonna go into Ripper mode, and it’ll be my job to stop him because that’s what I do. Once I’ve got him down for the count and somewhere safe, I’ll probably just end up calling Lexi to get him back on the wagon since she’s better at it than I am, assuming you’re comfortable with Lexi coming around, and handle whatever damage control there may be.” he admitted, and she gave him a quick kiss to make his sad expression happier.

“Lexi turned Isobel because Isobel wanted it and had your recommendation. She didn’t make Isobel turn off her humanity, and I can’t blame Lexi for anything my mother, if you could even call her that, has done or will do. Lexi will always be welcome in Mystic Falls.” she said, pulling herself from his arms with a sigh.

“Where are you going, princess?” Damon asked with a pout.

“If I’m not ready in forty-five minutes, Caroline will barge in here.” Elena told him. “I’m going to get a shower, and you should probably get one too.”

“It would be more time efficient to share, wouldn’t it?” he asked, a teasing smirk on his face.

“It’s like you can read my mind.” she replied, giggling as he vamped out of bed, scooped her up into his arms, and carried her into their bathroom.

Never had the urge to plunge a white oak ash dagger into her aunt’s heart been so prevalent for Elena as it was while the six women were looking at wedding dresses. Rebekah didn’t like any dress Elena tried on, but she couldn’t give her niece a straight answer as to why. Ball Gowns, A-Lines, Mermaids, Trumpets, and Fit-n-Flares all received the same reaction from the Original vampires which was simply that none of them felt right. Elena had agreed, but she knew why she herself felt that way. Every dress Caroline and Jenna picked out was heavy with embellishments, and Miranda and Alessia’s picks were either super fitted, sexy dresses or super puffy cupcake dresses; none of these were in any way what she’d imagined for herself, and she felt like a little girl playing dress up in each one. Rebekah would just say that she didn’t like the dress, but her lack of explanation was grating on Elena’s nerves to the point of her frustrated expressions turning into glares.

“Rebekah, what is it that you’re seeing in your mind for Elena? Maybe that’ll help everyone out here?” Jenna asked after the tension between the two had become palpable.

“Well, for one, I think she needs less embellishments on the dress. Damon loves Elena as she is, and having anything that would draw your attention, and therefore potentially his, away from her seems unnecessary. Additionally, with everything I’ve seen from Caroline’s sketches of the ceremony space, perhaps she should be looking for something a little softer, a little more romantic than a fairytale princess gown?” Rebekah said, and Elena nodded.

“Why couldn’t you have said this twenty minutes ago?” she asked with an excited grin. “That’s the second-best idea I’ve heard all day!”

“I wasn’t sure you wanted to hear it, so I kept my thoughts to myself until I was asked. You have to remember that women weren’t so free where I come from, and I am still learning.” her immortal aunt replied, pausing before asking a question. “If that was the second-best idea you’ve heard today, what was the first?”

“Whenever we decide to start looking into seriously adopting a baby, Damon wants to get a puppy.” Elena said, and the other women appeared stunned by her words.

“A baby?” Miranda asked, and she nodded at her mother.

“We talked a lot about our expectations of one another and of our future, any regrets we may or may not have, before he even agreed to ask me to marry him. If we can’t have kids of our own the normal way, we’ll adopt. I mean, I was adopted by two amazing parents who’ve given me a great life, so why can’t Damon and I do the same for another kid?” the younger brunette said, and all five females staring back at her awed in unison.

“As long as this happens while I’m still around to be Auntie Caroline, I’m so happy for you guys!” her best friend squealed.

“And I think I’ve found your dream dress.” Rebekah announced, gliding over to Elena with a dress draped over her arms. “If you’ve ever trusted me at any point, you should trust me now.”

Elena accepted the dress and followed the bridal consultant who’d been attempting to help them all morning back into the fitting room. Stepping out of the last cupcake dress and into Rebekah’s pick, the brunette knew that her aunt had definitely had something in mind when she’d picked it. The [dress](https://vowsbridal.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/59926-2201F.jpg) was an A-Line with an almost corset-like bodice held up by both the boning and a pair of thin spaghetti straps; the neckline was somewhere between a sweetheart and a deep V-neck, and the whole dress was covered in a floral-patterned lace. The [dress](https://vowsbridal.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/59926-2201B.jpg) was almost backless, the zipper ending at the small of her back where it was hidden well by the fabric of the skirt, and the train was modest. Looking at herself in the fitting room mirror, she no longer felt like a dress-up doll. She felt beautiful.

Blinking tears out of her eyes, Elena stepped out of the room with some help from the bridal consultant and made her way back to where her family was sitting. She heard the awed gasps of her mother, Alessia, and Jenna, the quiet yet delighted squeal of Caroline, and the pleased hum of Rebekah. Looking at their faces, she knew that this dress was hers. Rebekah, Alessia, and Jenna were smiling, and Miranda and Caroline were crying.

“So, what do we think, family?” the bridal consultant asked.

“You look beautiful, Elena.” Jenna said, tears starting to form in her eyes. “You look like _you_.”

“Damon is going to love the way you look in this dress not just because you look so amazing, but because you clearly love the way you look in it.” Alessia added.

“My baby’s getting married!” Miranda finally let out, tears spilling down her cheeks.

“I think I need to see this with a veil, ya know, for the full effect, but I’m loving this!” Caroline said, and the bridal consultant stepped away for a moment to grab one.

“Aunt Rebekah?” Elena asked while they had a moment without the situationally-clueless human in hearing range.

“You look every bit the vampire-princess bride, little one, and I have a present for you from Klaus that I know would go beautifully with a veil.” Rebekah answered as she reached into her oversized tote bag and removed a wooden box. “He had this custom made for you for the wedding, and he asked me to bring it with us today so that you could see it now and anything you don’t like about it can be changed while there’s still time.”

They all watched as the Original vampire opened the box and took from it an object wrapped in a crushed purple velvet cloth. She carefully unwrapped the object, and gasps filled the room. In her hands, there rested a [tiara](https://i.pinimg.com/originals/27/b8/33/27b8337eef505ba223e7348699de4c2a.jpg) covered in diamonds. A diamond cherry blossom sat at the very center of the tiara, and a diamond tulip sat overtop it. Other diamond flowers vined out from either side with diamond leaves in between. One look told her that it was the single most expensive piece of jewelry she would ever own, but the fact that Klaus had gone out of his way, which she knew he had to have done given everything else they’d been up to since she and Damon had announced their engagement, to have this piece crafted for her meant a lot to the thirty-second great-granddaughter of the Original Hybrid. She noticed that the nameplate on the top of the wooden box even said, “E. Gilbert-Mikaelson-Salvatore.”

“It’s beautiful.” she finally managed to say as Rebekah stood and crossed the room to place the tiara on the young bride’s head just as the consultant came back with a veil.

“Oh, now isn’t that a treasure!” she said, her eyes widening at the sight of the sparkling accessory.

“Her grandfather had it custom made just for her.” Miranda responded, dabbing at her eyes with a tissue as the consultant secured the veil in Elena’s hair with a white satin hair comb before adjusting it around her face.

“Blusher or no blusher?” she asked, and Elena was relieved to actually know an answer on her own for once during the appointment.

“Definitely a blusher; my fiancé likes some of the old wedding traditions, and I know lifting the veil is something he’s talked about looking forward to when the wedding actually gets here.” she said, and the consultant nodded before attaching the second layer of fabric to the brunette’s head.

“Of course, Damon would be a traditionalist on the wedding front!” Alessia said with a snort, and Caroline let out an exasperated sigh.

“I wasn’t expecting him to get so involved in the planning! Not to mention Klaus! I never two guys with so many opinions at the same time!” she said, and the others chuckled.

“Care, you knew Klaus was going to involve himself the second you were told he’d offered us the mansion for the wedding.” Elena pointed out, rolling her eyes while her best friend wasn’t looking at her. “As far as Damon goes, you’re talking about the same man you planned my Sweet Sixteen with, remember?”

“I’m still mad at Elijah over your Sweet Sixteen; his gift upstaged everything else. How in the hell am I supposed to compete with a damn Walt Disney World vacation paid in-full?” Caroline replied, though she was giggling by the end of it. “He even booked us all in the most expensive rooms with views of Cinderella Castle that they have!”

“If Elijah got you an all-expenses-paid vacation, what did Damon get you?” Alessia asked, intrigued.

“Drunk.” Elena replied honestly, holding her laughter in only for a moment before elaborating through it. “We were testing my tolerance levels, and he introduced me to this amazing red wine from Italy, near where your family’s from, and I might’ve ended up drinking the whole bottle sans the one glass he had before switching to his bourbon.”

“How did your father and I not know about this?” Miranda asked somewhat sternly, and Elena giggled.

“Damon made sure I drank plenty of _fluids_ before going to sleep, and he stayed with me the whole night in case I needed anything.” she told her mother, the emphasis on fluids indicating that she’d drank from him before bed that night.

“This fella of yours sounds incredible, hon. Where’d you find him, and are there any more left?” the consultant asked jokingly, eliciting a smile from her client.

“I’ve known Damon almost my entire life. He lost his parents when he was really young, and an uncle was able to take in his baby brother, but he was on his own. My great-uncle and my grandfather both knew him and asked my parents to let him stay with us, and he’s been apart of our family ever since. He’s always taken care of me and been there when I needed him the most, like a guardian angel wearing John Varvatos clothes.” Elena said, her phone buzzing from within Caroline’s purse.

“Speak of the devil!” the blonde teenager said with a grin as she tossed it to the brunette who caught it with ease.

“Hey, baby.” she greeted as she answered his call.

“ _Hey, princess. Since I know how your mind works, no, nothing’s wrong. I just missed you, so I thought I’d call and check in on your day._ ” Damon replied, and Rebekah let out a soft awe as she heard his words.

“I miss you, too, but I’m glad you’re not here. I found it, and I want you to be surprised when you see it.” Elena told him. “Heads up, though, my mom may be upset with you later.”

“ _I don’t remember doing anything to upset Miranda, so what did I do?_ ” he asked, and she giggled.

“Lessie asked what you got me for my Sweet Sixteen if Elijah got me the Disney World trip, and I told them that you got me drunk. Mom doesn’t look nearly as homicidal as she did five minutes ago, so you’ll probably live.” she said, and he groaned.

“ _I do distinctly remember you getting more from me than just that bottle of wine. I took you on a Fifth and Madison Avenue shopping spree that ended with you getting that diamond and sapphire[bracelet](https://media.tiffany.com/is/image/Tiffany/EcomItemL2/tiffany-jazzdiamond-and-sapphire-bracelet-31220629_924126_ED.jpg) from Tiffany’s._” he said, and she giggled again.

“That is true, and it also makes me wonder how you’ll ever top that birthday.” she said, and she could practically hear him smirking.

“ _I’ve been planning for next year since the day after your last birthday. I have my ways._ ” he admitted, and the tone of his voice sent shivers up her spine.

“As exciting as that sounds, I have to let you go now. If I don’t let Caroline talk about this dress soon, she’ll combust.” Elena told him. “I love you.”

“ _I love you, too, princess. I’ll see you soon._ ” Damon replied, both of them ending the call at the same time.

With the approval of the other women, Elena decided on her wedding dress. Miranda paid for it, and Alessia paid for them all to go to lunch afterwards. Elena was happy to see the witch getting along with the Original, and she could only hope that Alessia would get along with Kol just as well. Elena wanted Elijah to be happy, and she was smart enough to figure out that her uncle would only be happy if he had both the woman he loved and his siblings. She couldn’t imagine being forced to choose between Damon and her family, so she couldn’t expect Elijah to make a choice either.

At the Mikaelson residence that night, Elena watched as her uncle waited nervously for his youngest living brother to arrive. Alessia herself, while nervous, kept busy by discussing the latest news on Katherine with Klaus while Rebekah gathered logs for the fire. Damon, who she knew was still unsure about his presence at the gathering, was watching Elijah while listening to the hybrid and witch’s conversation. Elena knew he’d tell her anything she needed to know later, so she didn’t worry about what they were saying. When the door opened, everyone turned to greet Kol.

“Welcome, brother.” Klaus said, holding out a glass of bourbon to his younger brother.

“It’s only been a couple of weeks since I woke up, so can I trust this?” Kol asked, half-teasingly, and Klaus nodded.

“It’s my contribution to this evening, Kol, and Elena would hate me if I tried to poison you, so it’s safe.” Damon added, and the youngest Original took his word as enough to accept the glass from his brother’s hand.

“We can’t have hatred enter our little one’s heart, now, can we?” Kol teased as he took a sip, and his niece snorted.

“Well, you’re a bit late for that one, Uncle.” she said dryly. “I already hate my mother…the biological one, not my mom.”

“Have we disowned her yet?” Kol asked his brothers, as they were the two with the most experience with Elena and her feelings towards Isobel outside of Damon.

“Unfortunately, we can’t disown Isobel. If we could, I would’ve done so last year when she metaphorically ripped Elena’s heart out and stomped it into the floor.” Klaus replied, draining and refilling his own drink.

“We don’t have a witch with enough power to expel Isobel from the family yet, though Alessia has been helping me determine exactly how strong of a witch one must be to do it.” Elijah added on, drawing his youngest brother’s attention to him and the woman beside him.

“Ah, yes, Ms. Salvatore. I have heard much about you from my dear brother, and I have been exceptionally excited to meet the woman who makes him happier than I’ve witnessed in over four centuries.” Kol said, taking Alessia’s free hand and pressing a kiss to the back of it. “Though you haven’t been together long, I look forward to the day I can call you Sister.”

“Don’t scare her off, brother!” Rebekah laughed, setting a large log in the fireplace and stoking a roaring fire.

“I have no such intentions, sister.” Kol threw back before speaking to Alessia and Elijah together. “What have you determined so far?”

“Our best option is to wait until Freya awakens and have her do it. We have to have a witch who is related to both of them to do the spell that would remove Isobel from our family sphere without removing Elena along with her, and Freya is the only one we could trust. While Klaus has kept Mother’s body close so that Father could not find witches to resurrect her, bringing her back would spell damnation for us all; Mother wouldn’t stop until she made us all mortal and killed us to atone for what Nature and Father deem as her greatest mistake.” Elijah explained.

“You kept Mother’s body?” Rebekah asked, confused. “Why?”

“While I gave you all my reasons for killing her, I hoped that she might be able to be brought back one day if she understood why I was so angry, but she never has. My pendant, the very symbol of my binding, allows me to communicate with her spirit, and she has been quite vocal on her opinions concerning Elena and how I should kill her if I wish to break my curse.” Klaus told her with a shrug. “I prefer keeping her close so that I know she isn’t coming back to life without a fight from me. I refuse to put my lite lys in any more danger than strictly necessary.”

“Given that I am the only one not contributing to this conversation, what’s the whole deal with disowning Isobel?” Damon asked.

“A witch can effectively banish a member of their line from their family who has done a great act of betrayal against the family that keeps the disowned party from being able to use family connections to their advantage; in this case, Isobel wouldn’t be able to claim any of the protections or status that being a Mikaelson by blood would give her. The only issue is that any descendants from that person’s line are also expelled along with them. However, there is a spell that can be done by a powerful enough witch in the family line who can essentially erase a single link in the metaphorical chain without erasing the other links that follow; our sister, Freya, is strong enough to do this, but she’s currently locked in a crystal casket that keeps her asleep for a century at a time for another six years.” Elijah said, and Damon nodded as he began to understand the situation.

“Let’s hope Isobel manages to survive for six years, otherwise your research will be worthless.” he said, getting a nod from Elijah and a snort from Klaus.

“She’ll need all the hope and luck she can get, unfortunately. I’ve kept an eye on the poor thing, and she has none of Katherine or Elena’s stealth abilities. Well, she didn’t get them naturally; I compelled her to be less obvious a few months after she left Lexi’s care because no vampire wants a newborn exposing us all.” Klaus noted, and Kol chuckled.

“And exactly how stealthy is our littlest Mikaelson?” he asked, looking over towards Damon to see that Elena was no longer there and turning to find her standing behind him. “How did you get behind me without me seeing you move?”

“Thanks in part to Damon and in part to an eight-year-old Elena’s inability to see in the dark, she’s more vampire than human. I know we told you about this when you awoke, brother, but we never did explain it fully, did we?” Klaus replied, and Kol shook his head.

“I can’t say that you did, no.” he told his brother, and Klaus nodded before turning to the young couple as Elena walked back over to Damon and tucked herself into his side.

“I had one of my nightmare-visions and fell down the stairs trying to get to Damon, my vampire-shaped dreamcatcher, because his bedroom used to be what’s now the guest suite on the first floor. He heard me scream and knew he had to feed me his blood once he saw how bad my injuries were, especially the ones to my head. My body absorbed his blood instead of processing it, and my very cells think that his healing factor is a part of me normally and refuse to do their job without his blood in my system. The more frequently I feed, the more like a vampire I become and the more I can access. Lately, I’ve also been letting him feed from me, too.” Elena explained, pressing a light kiss to Damon’s lips. “If anyone else tried it, I’d probably die, but because it’s Damon’s blood keeping me from bleeding out from a papercut, the puncture wounds heal almost as soon as he detaches.”

“That’s where my worries start.” Rebekah said, and the others turned towards her.

“Why?” Kol asked, and Elena sighed.

“Elena loves Damon, brother, and this would be the perfect foundation for a sire bond to form upon Elena’s transition.” Rebekah pointed out, and her niece nodded.

“She’s right, but we already knew that there was a possibility of that happening. We’d been planning for, so long as I don’t have to be turned under emergency circumstances, having Uncle Elijah turn me when the time comes. At the very least, Grand-Klaus already agreed to compel me to turn my humanity off and then back on to break the sire bond if it comes to that.” Elena said, getting nods from the other two Mikaelsons on the subject.

“Why Elijah and not Klaus?” Rebekah asked, and Damon chuckled.

“Well, the plan was to wait until Elena was twenty-five, the same physical age as me, and we hope that Klaus will have his curse broken by then. After that, he’d be risking turning anyone he fed his blood to and killed into a hybrid instead of just a vampire.” he said, to which Klaus and Elena both nodded.

“It’s true, we don’t really want to take the hybrid risk because, no offense to Grand-Klaus, but I don’t really want to be a werewolf.” Elena said, and Klaus indicated that no offense was taken by him.

“Well, as enlightening and enthralling as this conversation has been, I do believe that Rebekah has gotten the fire ready for our favorite holiday tradition.” he said, pulling a stack of 3x5 note cards and a metal bucket off an end table. “Everyone draw a name from the bucket and then write down your Christmas wish for the new year for that person.”

Elena was the first to pull a name, and she smiled as she saw five letters on the scrap of paper. She retreated to the couch where she wrote down a single, heartfelt sentence on her card: _I wish for Klaus to break his curse, let go of the pain, and be truly happy for the first time in his life since becoming a vampire_. Elena folded her note in half and looked around to see everyone else doing the same. They all gathered around the fireplace with their wishes in hand, waiting for their next set of instructions.

“Okay, now that we’ve written our wishes, we burn them one at a time.” Kol said giddily. “You don’t say for what you’ve wished, but you can say for who you’ve wished it. I’ll go first, and my wish is for Rebekah.”

He caught the corner of his card aflame and waited until the fire had almost reached his fingertips before dropping the remainder of the car into the fireplace. Rebekah went next, saying that her wish was for Elijah, who stepped forward and said his was for Kol.

“I’ll go next.” Klaus volunteered. “My wish is for Damon.”

“My wish is for Alessia.” Damon said as he followed the example set by the Original siblings.

“My wish is for Elena.” Alessia said, and the doppelgänger moved to go last.

“Which means, obviously, my wish is for Grand-Klaus.” she said as she dropped the card into the fire, lifting her eyes to meet those of Klaus, smiling as the flames consumed the little piece of paper.

Nearly a week later, Christmas morning arrived much earlier than anyone had anticipated. Caroline had gone back to Mystic Falls a couple of days after Elena’s bridal appointment, and the vampire and doppelgänger had been taking advantage of having an entire wing of the apartment to themselves since her departure. However, on Christmas morning, Damon and Elena woke abruptly when the full force of Jeremy’s body came down on their bed. Jolted awake by the excited fourteen-year-old, the two were both grateful that they’d dressed themselves after sharing a shower before bed the previous night. Privately, Jeremy was also glad that the two were clad in warm, flannel pajamas that matched his own.

“This is why I told you to lock the door.” Elena told her fiancé grumpily.

“I did.” Damon replied. “Klaus taught him how to pick locks years ago!”

“Is the sun even up yet?” she asked, and he shrugged into his pillow, refusing to sit up just yet.

“I don’t know, and I don’t wanna know.” he said, and she sighed before sitting them both up and turning to see a dark sky out the window.

“The sun is most definitely not above the horizon.” Elena said flatly, and the vampire turned towards the teenage boy.

“Give me one reason I shouldn’t haul your ass back to your room and lock you in for another two hours until the sun comes up, Jer.” Damon grumbled sleepily, rubbing at his eyes with the heels of his palms.

“It’s Christmas, bro, and we agreed to surprise Mom and Dad by having breakfast made and coffee ready by the time they wake up, remember?” Jeremy replied, and Damon chuckled. “Plus, the lock is on the inside, so I’d just let myself out anyway.”

“I remember, kid, I swear, and I’d be disappointed if you didn’t let yourself out again. I just wasn’t expecting ‘before Mom and Dad wake up’ to mean five-thirty.” he said, looking over at a now wide-awake Elena. “I’m up, and I’ll be down to start breakfast in a few minutes. Jer, go start getting everything I’ll need out of the fridge.”

Jeremy nodded and hurried out of his sister and brother-in-law’s room. Once he heard the teenager make it to the kitchen, Damon let out a sigh. Now that Elena was awake, even if she seemed a bit annoyed at her brother, Damon knew that she wouldn’t be going back to sleep. She had been fully alert and ready for the day the second the word Christmas had fallen from her Jeremy’s lips.

“Merry Christmas, princess.” Damon said as he leaned in to kiss her softly.

“Merry Christmas, baby.” Elena replied as they broke apart, curling into his side.

“We should probably get downstairs before Jeremy sets the kitchen on fire, shouldn’t we?” Damon asked, and Elena giggled.

“Just wait until we’re living with both him and Jenna full time. At least I turned out to be teachable.” she said, and he let out a groan as they got out of the bed and made their way downstairs.

As soon as the smell of coffee permeated the air, Jenna was awake and in the kitchen. While she wasn’t much help, her cooking skills limited, Jenna’s presence did make it easier on Elena and Jeremy as they scrambled to get all of the plates, mugs, and silverware in place. The three had the table set by the time Damon had finished making an extra-large stack of gingerbread pancakes, and Grayson and Miranda entered the room just as he set the platter on the breakfast table amongst the other plates of fresh fruits, eggs, and bacon.

“Merry Christmas!” he, Elena, Jeremy, and Jenna chorused.

“Merry Christmas!” Grayson and Miranda replied, and everyone was smiling as all six of them sat down to eat.

The mood about the table was light, even if the calorie count of breakfast itself wasn’t. When the meal was over, the family moved into the living room where presents overflowed from beneath the tree in the corner of the room. Jeremy decided to play Santa and pass out presents, so Damon sat down on the loveseat in front of the window and pulled Elena into his lap. Jenna took the one across from them, and Grayson and Miranda claimed the couch that ran perpendicular to the two while facing the fireplace. Not much of the present pile was marked for Grayson or Miranda, but the family did their best to not let the two’s impending doom overshadow the holiday. By the time they’d all gone to get ready for Christmas dinner, at which the Mikaelsons would be in attendance, Damon was still chuckling to himself over Jeremy’s reaction to the satin-silver PlayStation 3 his parents had bought him along with the black, leather John Varvatos messenger bag he’d received from his sister and brother-in-law. Elena, he knew, was already itching to write in her new journal Miranda had given her, and Damon was itching just as badly to read whatever she wrote in it.

Dinner passed in much the same way breakfast had, and presents to and from the Mikaelsons were exchanged before the Originals left for the evening. Not long after that, Jenna, Jeremy, and the Gilbert parents all went to their respective rooms for the night. Elena helped Damon clean up the kitchen, but she stopped him short of going to the library for a blood bag. Instead, she led him up the stairs and into their room, shutting and locking the door behind them. She wrapped her arms lightly around his neck and pulled him in for a deep kiss that he pulled away from after a few moments to stare at her with a curious glint in his eyes.

“Lena, sweetheart, I still have to feed.” Damon pointed out, but she merely pulled her hair away from her neck.

“Feed from me.” Elena replied. “It’s about time for me to feed from you, too, so just feed from me tonight. Please?”

With the pleading tone of her voice combined with the gleam of desire in her eyes, Damon couldn’t refuse her. He sat down on the bed and pulled Elena into his lap in a single, swift motion before placing his lips on her neck and kissing along the slope until he came to the easiest access point to the vein. He heard her let out a hum of enjoyment as he bit down, and the sweet taste of her blood coated his fangs, tongue, and throat in seconds. When he detached after only taking enough to satisfy his hunger, he bit into his own wrist before offering it to Elena, watching as she placed her mouth over his wound and near-inhaled the blood oozing from it. When she detached, the two little punctures on her throat already healed, he pulled her in for another kiss. The taste of his own blood on her lips was both new and intriguing to Damon, and it left him with his guard down just long enough for Elena to lay herself down on the bed while pulling him along with her. As she began to play with the hem of his shirt, he was all too glad that he’d caught her adding an extra dash of nutmeg to Jeremy’s eggnog after dinner. With as soundly sleeping as the teenage boy was, there would be no picked locks to ruin their night.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: As always, sweets, tell me what you think! Until next time...XOXO


	9. Non Exitum Facilem

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "No, I'll stand my ground/Won't be turned around/And I'll keep this world from draggin' me down/Gonna stand my ground..."  
> -"I Won't Back Down," by Tom Petty

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Happy New Year's, sweets! Here's to a better year in 2021!

New Year’s came and went with a similar amount of fanfare as Christmas, and the fifth of January saw Grayson, Miranda, Damon, and Elena in a Richmond, Virginia courtroom to start the process of getting Elena emancipated. The plan to start the process in New York was proven irrelevant by there being no other motion to file in court along with the petition for emancipation since the New York courts didn’t allow for the petition to be lodged by itself. So, with the knowledge that Damon and Elena would be getting married in Virginia anyway, it was decided that it would be the best place to file the petition. The Gilberts still owned the house in Mystic Falls, and Damon owned the Salvatore Boarding House, so for all the courts would know, especially if compulsion had to become involved, all parties did in fact maintain residence in the commonwealth.

“Miss Gilbert-Mikaelson, would you please explain, in your own words, why you are petitioning for your emancipation today?” the judge asked, and Elena took a breath before speaking.

“Your Honor, I would like to start by stating that I am aware as to why most of these petitions get lodged, but that my reasons are nothing like that.” she said, pausing to smile sadly at her parents. “My parents have done nothing to make me feel as though I have to do this. They have never abused me, neglected me, or shown that they felt anything but love towards me. The reason I’m seeking emancipation today is that, in just a little less than six months, I’m getting married. My parents approve of my marriage, but the idea of them still being responsible for me once I’m a married woman is unfair not only to them, but also my fiancé and myself.”

“Do you plan to remain living with your parents for the duration of time before your wedding?” the judge asked, and Elena nodded.

“I do, but it has nothing to do with them being responsible for me. My fiancé, Damon Salvatore, came to live with my family when he was thirteen, and our family home is just as much his as it is mine. We intend to move into his family home, the Salvatore Boarding House in Mystic Falls, after the wedding and the end of the school year mostly because there are some renovations going on at the moment that would make us moving in rather difficult. There’s work being done on both the electrical wiring of the house as well as the HVAC system after some heavy storms last year did major damage to the house as well as some preventative measures in case of any such storms this year.” she answered, doing her best to work around the fact that the “storm” had actually been Damon tearing apart the house in a display of anger when he’d gone to visit his mother’s grave the previous summer and ran into Zach at the boarding house with none other than Stefan, both of them angry with him for the incident in December of 1994 that, until months later, Damon didn’t understand what they’d been yelling about at all.

“And Mr. Salvatore is in no way related to you, Miss Gilbert-Mikaelson?” the judge asked, and Elena bit back the frustrated growl that threatened to slip from her lips.

“No, he’s not related to me beyond being my fiancé. His family and mine have known one another since the founding of Mystic Falls, and my parents were happy to take him in after his own parents’ unfortunate deaths.” she told the judge, glancing over at Damon to see him sending her a small, reassuring smile.

“How do you and Mr. Salvatore intend on supporting yourselves, Miss Gilbert-Mikaelson?” the judge asked his next question, and Elena looked to her parents before responding.

“Between the large inheritance Damon received from his parents’ deaths and the trust fund account my birth mother’s family set up for me when I was a year old, we’re both financially stable to the point of not even needing to work until after I graduate from college.” she said, and the judge peered at her curiously over the top of his round glasses that sat halfway down the bridge of his nose.

“You birth mother? Miranda Sommers-Gilbert is not your biological mother?” he asked, and Elena nodded.

“I was adopted when I was a newborn. It was a closed adoption, and I wasn’t aware that I was adopted, nor that I am a twin, until I was twelve. My birth mother’s family, the Mikaelsons, are family friends as well and have always made an effort to be involved in my life since the day they found out what had happened to me. My parents, Damon, and I even discussed this with them, and everyone was in support of the idea.” she explained, and the judge gave a slow nod as he wrote something down on the legal pad before him.

“Ordinarily, it would take me some time to rule on a matter such as this. However, no one is objecting to this petition for emancipation, and everything appears to be in perfect order. My decision is that Miss Elena Gilbert-Mikaelson’s petition for emancipation be granted.” the judge said after a moment, and all four beamed at his words.

There was only one thing left for them to do, and Damon made his move as soon as the signed paperwork was in Elena’s hands. Stepping up to the judge, he compelled him to not remember more than the basic details of the hearing. Elena compelled the court clerk to do the same, and Damon couldn’t hide the prideful grin that graced his face as he watched. He had never seen someone with the ability to compel someone take to it as naturally as Elena had. He couldn’t wait for the first time any vampire, but especially one of the ones related to them, tried to compel her. If the supernatural community had its own version of _America’s Funniest Home Videos_ , Damon was sure that whatever that video would be would win the grand prize.

When they left the courthouse, the four of them knew that their next destination wasn’t avoidable any longer. They needed to speak with Sheila Bennett about performing the solidification ritual at the wedding, and Sheila was back in Mystic Falls for another week before she was required to be at Whitmore College to teach her occult studies course. As much as they all felt that their mere presence in the town would be the start of all hell breaking loose, they all also knew that it was necessary. So, with Grayson and Miranda in the Audi and Elena and Damon in the Camaro, the four made the drive to their hometown in a little under two hours. When they pulled up outside Sheila Bennett’s house, it was decided that Grayson would take the lead because Sheila liked him significantly more than she liked Damon since she’d been around for the 1994 massacre that Katherine’s minion had carried out, and they all knew that Sheila had met Stefan a few decades earlier when she had been a college student herself.

“Grayson Gilbert, what do you think you’re doing brining that vampire onto my property after what he’s done?” the old Bennett witch asked as soon as she opened her front door.

“Sheila, he’s good, I promise. Not only is he not responsible for the massacre at the boarding house in ’94, that was a newborn vampire under an appearance-altering spell, but he’s lived with me, Miranda, and the kids for twelve years; you know better than anyone that I drink vervain in my coffee while the others all wear it. Damon is of no danger to you, especially since he’s the one with a request for you. I’m only here because it involves me…to a degree, at least.” Grayson replied, and Sheila looked Damon over appraisingly.

“I will rescind this invitation if you as much as think of doing something stupid, Damon Salvatore, so don’t tempt me.” Sheila said after a moment. “Please, all of you, come inside so that we can talk in private.”

The four of them followed the witch inside the house. Elena’s skin tingled as she walked through to the dining room, and she remembered Kol telling her about how some witches could feel the magical energy that tended to build up in magical homes. She giggled slightly as one of the quartz crystals Sheila had sitting out on a built-in bookshelf in the dining room turned a brilliant shade of green before shifting to a shimmering orange, and then it became a brilliant purple, but she stopped when she heard the witch let out a gasp.

“I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to do that!” Elena said quickly, but Sheila waived her off as she checked the crystal herself.

“Grayson, why didn’t you tell me that your daughter is a witch?” she asked, and Grayson sighed.

“I didn’t know that she was until I found out from Klaus and Elijah Mikaelson that her direct maternal line is traceable to a witch named Ylva Mikaelson who happened to be the daughter of Klaus and the first known doppelgänger, Tatia.” the doctor said defensively. “For years, I didn’t mention it because the only power Elena could access was her limited psychic ability. She has nightmares of horrible events to come in hers and Damon’s futures, always has, but we didn’t realize that she would be capable of anything beyond that until she started spending time with the youngest two Originals, Kol and Rebekah, who both dabbled in witchcraft before their human deaths.”

“I really didn’t mean to do anything to that crystal.” Elena apologized again, but Sheila merely sighed.

“Elena, sweetie, it’s fine. You actually didn’t do anything to it. I charmed it years ago to change color according to when magic was being used in its presence so that I’d know what kind of magic was present. The crystal merely picked up on your witch side, turning it orange, and your doppelgänger nature turning it green. I’m not sure what the purple means, however.” she said, and Elena got an idea that was risky at best.

“Damon, I need you to vamp out for a second. If I’m right, I’ll know what the purple color means!” she said, and Damon gave her a weary glance. “Please, baby?”

“Fine.” he relented, the dark veins and red sclera appearing near instantly.

“Look!” Elena said excitedly, pointing to where the crystal had changed from purple to blood red. “If red means vampire, and we assume that blue means werewolf, then purple is for hybrids. I’m not a normal hybrid, not like Grand-Klaus, but I _am_ a hybrid, aren’t I?”

“A hybrid of what?” Sheila asked as Damon’s face returned to normal.

“She’s half-witch and half-vampire, technically.” he said, shrugging. “We don’t really know too much about how it works, only that it’s technically my fault.”

“Don’t say it like that!” Elena chastised the vampire, and he chuckled as she swatted his shoulder before explaining to Sheila about the staircase incident. “Though I've done some research online that's produced one theory, Uncle Kol theorized that the reason my body absorbed Damon’s blood instead of processing it the way it would for a normal person is because we have a soulmates bond. We, even subconsciously, see one another as extensions of ourselves, so we unintentionally took ‘What’s Mine is Yours’ to another level. The more of his blood I drink, the more vampire powers I gain. Compulsion has become very useful when we go out and women try throwing themselves at him. Mikaelsons aren’t known for our ability to share.”

“A soulmates bond?” Sheila asked, her eyes lighting up as if she’d just found the lone missing puzzle piece in a thousand-piece jigsaw. “Has it been solidified?”

“That’s actually what we’re here to ask you about, Sheila.” Damon said, reaching his right hand across the table to hold onto Elena’s left. “We’re getting married, legally, at the end of May and would be honored if you did the solidification ritual at the wedding; if you officiated the entire wedding, it’d be even better. Elena and I both feel that we owe you for us having found one another, you being the one who confirmed for Grayson that Elena is a Petrova doppelgänger which then prompted him and Miranda to move to New York where I went upon returning stateside in ’96, and you are the one witch with enough power and experience that we both trust enough to do this.”

“After everything that _you_ have done for my family, especially if you weren’t truly the one who killed everyone at the boarding house save for Zach Salvatore, it would be my honor to do the ritual, Damon.” the witch said after a moment, and the vampire and doppelgänger both smiled brightly.

“I really wasn’t the one who did that in ’94. I was in Italy with Mia, and Katherine had a witch named Lucy cast a spell on some guy she’d just turned. Elena foresaw it, but since she was only two at the time, no one realized what she’d seen until last October.” Damon told her, and Sheila paled.

“I owe you, then, I’m afraid.” she said, getting a curious look from all four. “If I am correct in my suspicions based on what you’ve just said, the witch working with Katherine Pierce is my first cousin, four times removed, Lucy Bennett. She comes around every now and then, asking about the people here in Mystic Falls, and I heard her mention going on an extended trip to Florida with a friend called Kathy on her last visit a few months ago. I am so sorry, Damon, that she would do this after everything you’ve done for us.”

“You are not responsible for the actions of others in your family, Sheila, and I don’t consider this a violation of the agreement I had with Emily because she’d already violated the agreement herself knowing that Katherine was never in the tomb. Now, changing the subject before this gets any more depressing, how’s Bonnie?”

Sheila chuckled at this, and Elena realized why when she heard the sound of car doors outside the house. She recognized one of the two voices coming from outside, and she noticed the way Damon tensed. Shaking her head, she looked over at her confused parents and explained.

“Bonnie just got here with Caroline, who I didn’t tell that I’d be here, and Damon’s preparing himself for the inevitable.” she said as the front door opened.

“Grams?” called a teenage girl whom Elena assumed to be Bonnie.

“I’m in the dining room, baby, talking with some old friends.” Sheila called back, and the two teenage girls appeared in the doorway a few seconds later.

“Elena?” Caroline asked, blinking in surprise as she saw her best friend at the table.

“Hey, Care.” Elena said as she got up from the table to hug the blonde. “We got it done today, so it was time to actually ask Sheila for her help.”

“It’s done? You’re really emancipated? This is so cool!” the blonde cheered, looking over at Damon once she’d calmed down. “I need you to make me not strangle or stab Klaus.”

“What’s he done now, Barbie?” the vampire asked, sure it had something to do with his and Elena’s wedding.

“I know why we can’t use the silver-plated or sterling silver place settings at the wedding, but if he asks me why we can’t use the gold one more time, I’m going to ask Elijah or Rebekah for a dagger.” Caroline said, shoulders sagging as she looked over at him with a slightly pleading expression. “Please, either talk to him or make a choice on place settings yourselves.”

“Don’t worry, Care Bear, we’ll make a decision that you’ll both like.” Damon insisted as Elena returned to the table and sat in his lap instead of the chair she’d previously occupied, looking over at Bonnie to see the girl looking very confused. “Sheila, she looks just like you did at that age, ya know.”

“What’s going on here?” Bonnie asked, and Sheila sighed.

“Your mother was supposed to tell you when you were thirteen, but after she left, your father didn’t want me telling you anything unless you started showing signs of having powers and needed to know the truth. Bonnie, this is Damon Salvatore, the man who has been responsible for this family’s survival since 1864, and he’s a vampire. Our ancestor, Emily Bennett, was a powerful witch who was burned at the stake for helping several vampires during Damon’s human life, including the one who sired him, and Damon has spent his entire immortal life watching out for us…well, at least he had until twelve years ago. I’m glad I know why I hadn’t heard from you since your letter saying that you were leaving Italy.” she said, looking briefly from her granddaughter to the vampire.

“You read it even though you thought I was a mass murderer?” he asked with a joking smirk, and she nodded. “You do care.”

“I needed to make sure that you weren’t planning on coming here and killing the entire Bennett line for whatever reason.” Sheila admitted, and Damon chuckled.

“You would’ve totally fried my ass if I’d even thought about it.” he told her, and she snorted.

“Damn straight!” Sheila laughed, smiling as she turned her attention back to Bonnie.

“You’re serious, aren’t you?” Bonnie finally spoke, and everyone in the room, including Caroline, nodded.

“Aunt Miranda, Uncle Grayson, and I are all human, as is their son Jeremy who isn’t here right now, but I’ve met other vampires and witches, too. Elena’s not exactly human, but she's not not human.” the blonde said, and the young witch blinked. “I knew about you being a witch, but I was sworn to secrecy by Aunt Miranda when I found out about it. She and my mom were best friends with your mom in high school, and she knew why your mom left. It was never your fault, and we can talk about it later once you’ve had a chance for all of this to sink in and be real for you.”

“I’m a doppelgänger who’s also a witch-vampire hybrid because of an accident I had as a kid. It’s super complicated, and it wouldn’t help you any to explain this until after you’ve got a better understanding of the supernatural. I hope that we can still be friends, though, since I’ll really only have Care as a friend when I move here in about six months.” Elena said, and Caroline turned to face her with an ecstatic expression.

“So, you’re definitely moving here?” she asked, and Elena nodded.

“Between Grand-Klaus putting the house in my name, mine and Damon’s mutual desire to not abandon Jeremy, and what I’ve already seen happening, it makes sense. It’s completely stupid and reckless, but it makes sense.” the doppelgänger explained, and Caroline’s eyes bulged when she heard what Elena said about Klaus’ mansion.

“Wait, he’s putting it in your name? You’ll own the mansion?” she asked, and the brunette nodded.

“Since I’m still technically human, I’m the ultimate layer of vampire deterrent for the family. We’re going to use the boarding house for any vampires we have to interrogate, and Zach will just have to deal with it. It’s still Damon’s house, after all, and to say he’s pissed at Zach for telling anyone in the extended Salvatore family who’ll listen that they have a psychotic killer for an uncle is an understatement.” Elena said, the expression that took over her face as she described Damon’s feelings towards his nephew making Caroline turn red and look away.

“Why would you be interrogating vampires?” Bonnie asked, not understanding what made the blonde avert her eyes from the two.

“I’m adopted, and my birth mother is plotting with my sixteen-times-great-grandmother to kill my parents. I’m not okay with letting it happen, but we can’t stop it because, not only is it out of our hands, but it’s also only delaying the inevitable because she won’t stop until they’re dead. Katherine, who is also a doppelgänger and therefore looks just like me, is determined to get me to Mystic Falls at all costs, and Isobel will do whatever she says.” Elena said, tearing her eyes from Damon long enough to explain what she’d foreseen to the young witch. “Katherine has more minions than just Isobel, however, and we’re not naive enough to believe that she wouldn’t send scouts to figure out the best way to insert herself into the middle of everything.”

“Katherine herself will eventually show up, so you should never invite Elena into your house verbally. It might actually be Katherine, and once a vampire has been verbally invited in, they can get into your house anytime they want.” Damon added, frowning as he met his favorite pair of brown eyes. “Sorry, princess, but we have to be safe.”

“It’s okay, baby, I understand. I’d rather be waived into places than see anyone I care about get hurt…unless we’re talking about Jeremy picking the lock on our bedroom door again, then I don’t think I’d mind it so much if he were injured; he can have a sprained wrist if he’s gonna be that stupid.” Elena replied, kissing her vampire fiancé softly, and the reason for Caroline turning away finally struck Bonnie, making her blush as well while everyone else merely chuckled.

The Gilberts and Damon only stayed at Sheila’s for a little while longer before Grayson and Miranda went to visit with other friends about town and check in on the state of their house before they had to make the drive back to New York; meanwhile, Damon and Elena had gone to the boarding house to check in on the repairs being done. Thankfully, Zach wasn’t there when they arrived, and the work crews had the day off, so they were able to look around entirely alone. Damon was still angry with his nephew and wasn’t sure he’d be able to keep himself from killing the man if he thought, even momentarily, that Elena was either in danger from Damon or a threat herself, and neither of them wanted to risk innocent lives being caught in the crosshairs of a pissed off vampire.

As they toured the house, Damon took Elena into what would soon be their wing. He watched as she inspected every detail she could see, which was a lot given her enhanced vision, and he could feel himself falling more and more in love with her each second. All of the little touches that he, Stefan, and Mia had put into building this house for Milo and his son, Zachariah, after the original Salvatore Estate had been destroyed in 1904 caught her eye, and she seemed to adore each one just as much or more than the last. When they reached the last door before his bedroom, she stopped.

“You were serious about what you said about turning this room into a nursery one day, right?” she asked, and he nodded, thinking of what Rachel had told him two months earlier.

“The day we decide we’re ready to start looking into adopting, this room will be a nursery.” he said, but she could hear the strain in his tone as he once again lied by omission about Rachel’s vision of them having biological children.

“We’re completely alone in here, Damon, so don’t lie to me. I can hear you forcing yourself to say we’ll adopt, but I know you don’t really believe that we will. Why?” she asked, and he sighed.

“I didn’t want to tell you because I have no fucking clue how it’s supposed to happen, but Lessie’s friend Rachel, the witch-nanny I told you about, found me in the park the day your parents brought up the idea of your emancipation and us getting married. I’d realized that there was no way I wasn’t going to marry you, and she had a vision when she reached out to pat me on the arm. She saw you pregnant, and she saw the two of us with three children. One of those children is our daughter who, according to Rachel, gets her looks from me. I don’t know how I would be able to get you pregnant, and I didn’t want to put anything more than necessary on your plate right now. Between the wedding, your parents, our impending move here, and the daily Mikaelson drama that no one would believe is real if you gave them a reality show, you’ve got so much going on already. I planned on doing some more research while you were at school and then talking with you about all of this once things calmed down a bit. I’m sorry I didn’t tell you when I found out, but I really was trying to help.” he explained, and her jaw dropped.

Damon was worried that she would yell, break off the engagement, or rip off a banister post and stake him right then and there, but she didn’t do any of that. Once she finally managed to do more than blink and gape, she kissed him fiercely, and he returned her kiss with fervor. When they broke apart, she was smiling with happy tears streaming down her face.

“I love you so much, Damon Francesco Salvatore, and we will figure this out together. If we’re meant to have children that are ours in every way, then we will; and, if our daughter gets her looks from you, then we know she’ll be absolutely beautiful and will be the only person able to give you that pleading look that you give to others that gets you whatever you want.” Elena told him.

“This room can still be a nursery, even if we’re not adopting.” Damon pointed out, smiling back at her. “God, I love you, Elena Beth Gilbert-Mikaelson.”

“Just a few more months, and you won’t have as many names to say.” she replied. “Although, I guess it’ll be more names if Klaus gets his way.”

“That tiara he had made for you is in a box labeled ‘E.B. Gilbert-Mikaelson-Salvatore.’” he noted, and she hummed slightly as she peeked into the room to see its basic layout. “I think he’s worried you won’t need him anymore if you stop using the Mikaelson name.”

“I think he just likes being able to point out that I’m the littlest Mikaelson.” she countered, closing the door and taking his hand as he began walking again.

“Only for now, princess.” he said as they walked towards his bedroom door. “Ready for the last set of rooms?”

“You haven’t been hiding pictures or love notes from my evil twin in there, right?” she asked, and he let out a full laugh.

“I never had a picture of her to keep, and anything of hers I might’ve had I made sure to destroy after your dad told me she was never in the tomb.” he told her as they stopped in front of the door long enough for him to twist the knob and push it open.

Hours had passed between the time Damon and Elena entered his, soon to be their bedroom and the time he heard Elena’s phone let out a sound signaling that she’d received a text message. Seeing as how she was asleep in the bed beside him, Damon grabbed her phone to check the message that he knew was likely from one of her parents. It had been from Miranda letting them know that she and Grayson were driving back to New York with Klaus who they’d run into while he’d been in town introducing himself. Given that they knew that the accident that would kill the pair would see them in the car by themselves, Damon was sure that the mention of Klaus was to keep Elena from worrying too much.

Damon sighed to himself and set Elena’s phone on his bedside table before rolling back on his side and wrapping an arm around his sleeping fiancée. With the way he drove, they still had plenty of time to get back to New York if he went back to sleep for another hour, so he closed his eyes and started to drift off with the smell of Elena’s apple-scented shampoo filling his nose and leading him towards a sweet dream. His eyes snapped open less than five minutes later when he heard a car pull into the garage.

“Son of a bitch!” he hissed, rolling onto his back, and Elena stirred beside him.

“What’s wrong?” she asked, her voice heavy with sleep.

“Zach’s home.” he told her, and she huffed as she snuggled into his side.

“It’s your house, so what’s he gonna do if he finds out we’re here?” she asked semi-rhetorically.

“I’m more worried about what my brother would do, honestly.” Damon said, gazing down at her as she traced the white-lace style tattoo on his left wrist. “I’ve never, in the entire century this house has been standing, brought a woman home with me. Stefan would want to know why I finally did, and even just the slightest description of you from Zach would make him think that I’d found Katherine alive, that I’d finally won. He wouldn’t be able to handle that, and I have no doubt that he’d come looking for us just to see if you were really her.”

“It doesn’t matter what Stefan does because Klaus would stop him from hurting us. We all know that Klaus is the one vampire your brother is truly terrified of, and he loves me too much to see me get hurt, so he’d have no problem putting your brother in his place.” Elena noted, lifting her eyes from the barely visible mark on his wrist to meet his eyes. “I’m not worried.”

“For someone who used to be terrified of my brother, you certainly sound sure of yourself.” he teased, and she smiled.

“Why would I be afraid of Stefan when I could probably have him on his ass in seconds with his animal blood diet making him weaker than normal?” she replied, and he saw a familiar fire spark in her eyes as she continued. “Besides, even if I can’t handle him entirely on my own, I know I’ll always be safe with you.”

“This probably isn’t the best idea, princess.” Damon said as she leaned in to kiss him. “Zach could hear us and wander in at any point.”

“That’s half the excitement.” Elena told him, earning a chuckle from Damon as their lips met.

“I thought I was supposed to be the bad influence in this relationship?” he teased, and she smirked.

“Sorry, baby, but I’ve been the bad influence ever since I started conning you into giving me ice cream and letting me stay up late on school nights.” she told him.

“I’ve always been a sucker for those eyes, haven’t I?” Damon mused, subtly acknowledging his defeat before pinning Elena beneath him in a single, swift movement and kissing her once more.

It was another hour before the couple left their room, dressed and prepared to make a mad dash for the Camaro if the need arose, and made their way down to the first floor of the house. They stopped at the bottom of the stairs when the sound of a conversation stopped them in their tracks. They both recognized both voices, and they knew it would prove difficult to escape undetected since the conversing pair were on the other side of the front door.

“-wear, Sheriff, the door was unlocked when got home from the council meeting, and no workers were supposed to be on the property today, so someone broke into my house!” Zach said, and Elena held in a laugh as she heard Liz’s exasperated sigh.

“How many times have you ‘forgotten’ to lock the door just to scare the shit out of your nephew that Aunt Liz is _that_ frustrated already?” Elena asked in a whisper, and Damon shrugged.

“I quit counting after nine or ten, but I really did forget this time. I was so focused on watching you take everything in that I didn’t even think about locking _any_ doors.” he told her just as quietly, and she smirked.

“Oh, so that’s why you were so worried about Zach walking in on us.” she teased, and he let a shy smile slip onto his face.

“Don’t give me that look, princess. We’re both rather territorial; you’ve seen how I get when other guys are looking at you when you’re fully clothed, so can you imagine what I’d be like if a man who wasn’t me saw you without anything more than a bedsheet to cover you?” he reminded her, and she pecked him on the lips. “I don’t wanna kill anyone in front of you unless absolutely necessary, and I would’ve killed Zach if he’d walked into our room earlier.”

“Seeing as how I’m still tempted to compel all the women who try throwing themselves at you even though I know I have nothing to worry about, I can imagine it pretty well.” she told him as they inched closer to the front door.

“He’s got to know it’s me, though, right? My car is in the garage, and he knows which one it is, too. I’ve had her since before he was born!” Damon wondered aloud, still at a volume where only someone with enhanced senses could hear.

“Maybe he’s hoping to throw you under the bus for what Katherine’s minion did while wearing your face?” Elena replied, but Damon was unable to respond as the door opened in conjunction with the end of her statement.

“Oh, shit!” Zach swore, and Damon smirked.

“Hello, nephew.” the vampire greeted, and the human man reached into his jacket pocket for a stake only for it to be knocked out of his hands by Elena the second he took a step towards his uncle with the intent to kill.

“I’ll snap your arm in three places if you try it again.” she hissed, and the human Salvatore backed away from the young brunette towards a laughing Liz.

“Who the hell are you?” Zach asked, confused momentarily as he began to remember seeing her face somewhere before. “You look like the woman Uncle Stefan keeps a picture of in his journal.”

“Unfortunate family resemblance, but I’m not Katherine Pierce.” Elena said, glancing over at Damon to see him still glaring at Zach.

“No, she’s most definitely not Katherine.” the vampire said, moving forward to wrap his arms around his fiancée. “Zach, meet Elena Gilbert-Mikaelson, soon to be Salvatore.”

“Gilbert-Mikaelson? Why do I recognize both of those last names?” Zach asked Liz before cutting his eyes back towards his uncle. “And did you say that you’re getting married?”

“Elena’s parents are Grayson and Miranda Gilbert, and the Mikaelsons are new Mystic Falls residents; Niklaus Mikaelson is the one building that mansion on the edge of town, and his siblings Elijah, Kol, and Rebekah will be moving here with him in a few months. Carol Lockwood’s been trying to find an in with them ever since she realized how much money it would take to build an estate the size of the one that Klaus is currently building.” Liz answered, and Elena wrinkled her nose at this.

“I’m just glad Grand-Klaus has zero interest in Carol Lockwood.” the brunette said, stories of Mrs. Lockwood’s antics dating back to her parents’ and aunt’s school days being more than enough to leave a bad taste in her mouth concerning the woman.

“Grand-Klaus?” Zach asked, and Damon chuckled.

“Klaus would be Elena’s thirty-second great-grandfather on her birth mother’s side. You see, Elena was adopted by the Gilberts as a newborn after her bitch of a birth mother left without a backwards glance. Though not quite a vampire herself, Elena may as well be a vampire princess with the position Klaus holds in the supernatural world.” the vampire said to his nephew. “And, no, I didn’t say that Elena and I are getting married. I implied it, and it is true, but I didn’t actually say it.”

“You infuriate me, you know.” Zach said with a derisive snort. “You come into my house, kill my pregnant girlfriend and everyone who was at the party, and try to take Uncle Stefan with you. You destroy my house years later when I finally confront you about what you did. Yet you’re the one who’s getting to live happily ever after, Uncle Damon, really?”

“I never killed anyone related to this family, but I can always start. You’re the one who’s gone out of his way to tell every Salvatore cousin left alive that I’m a homicidal maniac, and your actions nearly caused your cousin, Alessia, to break the bond tying Elena and me together. The fact that you’re still alive should be counted as a miracle.” Damon sniped back, and Zach was caught off guard by the mention of his distant cousin.

“Okay, before this goes any further, I think we should set the record straight as to what happened.” Liz said, stepping between the two Salvatores. “Zach, Damon wasn’t the one who committed the massacre; Katherine knew Stefan was in town and didn’t want him drawing in either the Traveler witches or Klaus, so she had a witch bound to her cast a spell on a newborn vampire to make him look like Damon before sending him in to cause as much havoc in Damon’s name as he could before she killed him to tie up loose ends. Vampires older and far more powerful than Damon, the Mikaelsons to be exact, have confirmed this.”

“How do you two know each other?” Zach asked the sheriff, and she shrugged.

“It’d be more awkward if I didn’t know him. Damon moved in with Grayson and Miranda, my best friends and Caroline’s godparents, twelve years ago originally as Elena’s bodyguard. Their bond, identified by your cousin Alessia, a witch, only came to light in the last few months, but its existence goes back to the day Elena was born. That was actually the first time Damon and I met. I was in the park with Caroline that day, and he passed us by on his way to Sheila Bennett’s.” Liz explained.

“It was June 22, 1992, and Caroline would’ve been eight-months-old. I didn’t know it at the time, but I couldn’t just sit still that day because my soul, the core of my existence, could feel its other half coming into the world. I spoke briefly with Liz, mostly because she caught me trying to avoid people and didn’t recognize me so she took it upon herself as the sheriff to confront me, but I compelled her to forget our meeting. I gave her back the memory when Miranda reintroduced us a few years later, but still.” Damon added. “Once Elena had been born, I was able to calm down and get out of town before anyone but Liz, baby Caroline, and Sheila knew I was here. I spent the next four years in Italy with Mia, my sister and your great-aunt who should be in for a visit towards the end of May, and I moved in with the Gilberts not long after returning stateside and being confronted by Grayson over a suggestion made by Klaus and Elijah Mikaelson about my ability to protect Elena.”

“No one ever thought I’d become his protector just as much as he’s become mine. Oh, and as the woman who’s about to be your aunt, don’t you dare disrespect not just your uncle but your _family_ by calling this your house. I’ve seen the deed to this place, and it clearly says that the owner of this property is Damon Francesco Salvatore V, not you, Zach.” Elena said, proving her statement with each word she spoke. “The house was in your father’s name, yes, but it wasn’t passed down to you when he died because you have _always_ shown how little you trust Damon, probably on the word of Stefan, and could never be trusted to not throw him out of the house he built. Also, that means that there was no break in and that you’ve just been wasting Aunt Liz’s time.”

“Ah, now I see where she’s a Mikaelson.” Liz said, watching the way Elena continued to keep herself blocking Zach from staking Damon through the heart while Damon held her back from getting any more physical on her own. “On that note, as no crime has been committed, I should be getting back to the office. Damon, Elena, it was great to see you, and I’ll be seeing you again in a few months. I’ve already got my dress picked out and everything.”

“Bye, Aunt Liz!” Elena said happily. “We’ll see you in May!”

“I’ll be the handsome one in the tux, and she’ll be the beautiful one in white.” Damon added, pressing a kiss to Elena’s hair with a smile. “We should probably be going, too. We’ve got a long drive ahead of us, and there are only so many days Alessia can cover for Elena at school.”

“School?” Zach asked, and Elena nodded.

“I’m sixteen, seventeen in June, so I’m in my junior year right now. We were going to wait to get married, but my parents thought it was a good idea to do it sooner rather than later; the Mikaelsons were more surprised, but completely on board once they understood our reasoning. Lessie is my homeroom teacher, so she’ll accept whatever excuse I bring in because she knows where I am and what I’m doing.” Elena explained, taking a step forward along with Damon. “Good-bye, Zach. We’ll see one another again sooner than you probably realize.”

“I’m sure you’ll tell Stefan about all of this, so be sure to let him know that I’ll be back at the same time I come back here every year. We can try talking again then, and maybe you’ll have both learned when to let someone give their side of the story.” the vampire said as calmly as he could manage before walking out the front door alongside his fiancée.

Damon and Elena remained silent from the time they stepped out of the boarding house until they were in the Camaro driving along northbound along I-95 on the other side of Richmond from Mystic Falls, but their hands were clasped together in the middle of the front seat the whole time. As the song on the radio changed, Damon smiled at the familiar melody filling the car. Glancing over at Elena, he saw her doing the same. He’d taught her to Viennese Waltz to this particular song, and both the song and dance had quickly become favorites of hers. When they had their dance days, on which days they spent their time dancing the styles she already knew and occasionally one or two new ones, it was almost always on the dance card.

“Since I’m not going to school tomorrow either, can we have a dance day tomorrow?” Elena asked, breaking their comfortable silence.

“I’d love to have a dance day with you, sweetheart.” Damon replied, bringing her hand to his lips and placing a gentle kiss against her knuckles. “Besides, what my princess wants, my princess gets, remember?”

“All the vampires walkin' through the valley/Move west down Ventura Boulevard/And all the bad boys are standing in the shadows/And the good girls are home with broken hearts…” Elena sang softly, her eyes locked on the vampire beside her as he began singing the chorus.

“And I'm free, free fallin'/Yeah I'm free, free fallin'…” Damon sang along, the smile never leaving his face as he continued to drive.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Hello, sweets! Whether Zach goes running to Stefan will be answered soon, but how soon should the younger Salvatore make his debut in Mystic Falls??? Until next time...XOXO


	10. Ego Coniecto Ego Vere Hoc Significat, Ut Amo Te

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "Maybe I shouldn't be thinkin' so far ahead/Better just enjoy this moment/And be happy for what I get/But you know it's not that easy/To get out of my head/So I guess that it's a good thing/When you want something so bad..."  
>  -"First Heartbreak," by Tori Kelly

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Hello, sweets. The ending of this chapter wasn't what I'd originally had planned. All of the things you see writers say about their characters taking over the plot and running away with it is 100% true, and that's what happened here. I had everything planned out, and then Caroline said "Nope, we're doing this my way!" I hope you enjoy it!

Kol was easily the most annoying of the Mikaelson siblings. This much was true for everyone, Kol included, but Damon felt it to be especially true when said Original walked into the Gilbert’s library while he was researching legends of vampire offspring one day in February while everyone else was out of the apartment. The Mikaelson brother had one of the books from the large stack at Damon’s side in hand and was thumbing through it before the younger vampire could react. He and Elena hadn’t yet discussed telling anyone else about Rachel’s vision, and Kol was putting him back in that awkward position of making a decision for Elena without her knowledge or consent.

“When’d you get so into the old legends?” Kol asked, setting the book down on the top of the stack he’d taken it from originally. “I didn’t take you for the lore type.”

“I’m usually not, but all legends have some basis in fact, right?” Damon responded, smiling slightly as he spoke. “A witch I know, a friend of Lessie’s, had a vision of Elena being pregnant with my child, three times in fact, but she was very adamant that I was definitely a vampire in the vision. She had no idea how it would be possible, but Elena and I agreed to do the research. If it’s meant to be, it’ll happen, but we’d like to know how.”

“I can’t say I know anything about this myself, but it could potentially come from your bond as soulmates?” Kol offered with a shrug. “I’m afraid I haven’t studied bonds nearly as much as I should have over the centuries. The more romantic aspects of magic have always been Rebekah’s forte.”

“Well, since you weren’t supposed to find out until Elena and I talked about telling people, I’ll wait to ask her once I’ve actually talked to Elena about it. I have seen her angry, and I’d rather not have her angry at me.” Damon said, thinking back to the verbal assault Elena had launched on Zach when they’d been at the boarding house.

“Mikaelson angry or Petrova angry?” Kol asked, curious.

“From Elena? Both, always both. She’s the best and worst of both lines all at once, and she knows it.” Damon explained. “Last month, my human and nearly forty-year-old nephew got his ass verbally handed to him by a sixteen-year-old doppelgänger because she felt he was behaving disrespectfully towards me. He tried staking me, and she threatened to break his arm in three places if he as much as thought about it again, and then she tore into him for referring to the boarding house as his house. If I didn’t already have a somewhat homicidal inclination towards Zach, I probably would’ve been a lot more turned on by her being the one to protect me. Instead, I had to focus on keeping us both from committing murder.”

“Dude, your fiancée or not, she’s still my niece.” Kol reminded him, and Damon shrugged.

“You think I don’t have to say the same thing to Elijah whenever we’re talking about women?” he remarked, and Kol snickered.

“Fair point.” he said, taking a breath to calm himself before continuing. “I actually had a reason for coming to see you today. Elijah thinks Rebekah and I should take Klaus out to a singles bar on Valentine’s Day to keep him from wallowing in self-pity.”

“Do it. Klaus spends way too much time with his own thoughts and could use a night out on the town. Just be discrete with anyone you chose to feed from, if you do, and don’t try anything with his drinks. Back in the 80s, Elijah drugged him once just to see what’d happen, and the results were _not_ pretty from what I understand. As for you and Rebekah, you both should enjoy yourselves, too. It’s Valentine’s Day, and nobody wants to be alone.” Damon said.

“So, the alternative is a night of meaningless sex and amounts of alcohol that would ordinarily kill a person?” Kol asked with a snort.

“For some, yes, but for vampires, it can be the best day of the year.” Damon pointed out, smirking. “Then again, I wouldn’t really know what the last sixteen years are like in this country. I’ve spent twelve with Elena, and four with my sister in Italy.”

“You did that on purpose.” Kol said flatly, and Damon chuckled.

“Just go out on Saturday and have fun. Mystic Falls doesn’t have nearly as many opportunities as New York, and you should take advantage of it while you can.” the younger vampire said, and the older nodded.

“If asked under duress, I would never admit this again, but you’re right.” Kol replied with a smirk of his own. “So, what are yours and Elena’s plans for Valentine’s Day this year now that you happen to be an actual couple?”

“Kol, do me a favor and ask yourself if you really want to know about your niece’s Valentine’s Day plans with her fiancé before you ask me to answer that question.” Damon said, and the Original nodded before turning towards the door.

“On that note, I think I’ll just go let my sister know that we’re definitely taking Klaus out on Saturday.” Kol said, disappearing as quickly as he’d arrived, leaving a laughing Damon in his wake.

While Damon was having a laugh at Kol’s expense, Elena was sitting at her usual lunch table with her earbuds in, music playing just loud enough to block out the outside world, while she texted with Caroline about wedding details. This particular instance was concerning the song for Damon and Elena’s first dance, and the argument was admittedly Elena’s fault. Caroline had picked a song that Elena knew was popular with weddings in recent years, but, no matter how many times she listened to it, she didn’t think it fit her and Damon; the problem was that she just couldn’t figure out what song did fit them. She scanned song after song on her iPod with the hopes of something jumping out at her. Letting out a sigh, she looked up just as someone sat down across from her. It was her brother, and he looked too amused for Elena to be comfortable.

“What’s up, Jer?” she asked, removing her earbuds, and her brother snickered.

“You know the Valentine’s Day dance on Saturday?” he asked, waiting for her affirmative nod before continuing. “Well, word around school is that Ryan Watson is planning on asking you to be his date. Can I watch the rejection? Please, Lena?”

“If I didn’t know exactly where you got that attitude and smirk, I’d be worried.” she remarked, giggling at the very Damon-esque look on Jeremy’s face. “Yes, you can totally watch me reject the most sought-after guy in school before the eyes of the masses. You can even record it for Damon if you want.”

“Why would I record this for Damon?” he asked, and Elena shrugged.

“He’s usually the one rejecting people, not me. Honestly, I’d expect him to be upset because he missed out on seeing it happen live.” she said, and Jeremy let out a low “Ah,” as he understood what she wasn’t saying.

“I’ll record it on the conditions that I get to use your phone to record it and I never have to hear about y’all’s jealousy kinks ever again.” he replied, and she nodded.

“Deal.” she said, sliding her phone across the table as she heard approaching footsteps. “Is that him?”

“Yep.” Jeremy said, opening his sister’s phone and going to her camera app to start recording. “Good luck.”

“Elena?” a new voice asked, and the brunette looked up to see a guy who, had she not been so entirely in love with Damon, she would’ve found attractive and happily gone on a date with upon being asked.

“Oh, hey, Ryan.” she said as Ryan sat down beside her, playing dumb well enough that Jeremy would’ve thought she honestly didn’t know what was about to happen. “What’s up?”

“I know it’s only three days away, but I was wondering if you’d be my date to the Valentine’s Day dance?” Ryan asked, and Elena allowed a sad smile to slip onto her face.

“I’m sorry, but I already have plans.” she told him, and a strange expression crossed his face.

“I know for a fact that you don’t have a date to the dance, so why can’t you just say you’ll go with me?” he asked, and Jeremy tensed. “Once I made it clear that I was asking you, every other guy in school backed off because a claim had been plainly made.”

“A claim? Do I look like someone’s possession to you? I can sure as hell assure you that I’m not.” Elena threw back angrily, and Jeremy snickered. “I have Valentine’s plans already, Ryan, and they don’t involve a high school dance.”

“Something funny, kid?” Ryan asked Jeremy, who immediately sobered and leveled his best glare at the older teen.

“First, there’s only one person allowed to call me a kid, and you’re not him. Second, yeah, I find that expression on your face to be rather hilarious.” Jeremy told him, still recording the video.

“You know what, so do I!” Elena remarked, smirking over at her brother and the camera before turning back to the other teenager. “Ryan, I have no interest in going out with you, to this dance or anywhere else, and I’m already seeing someone.”

“Whoever he is, I’m sure I’m better.” Ryan said, and Elena’s expression shifted into one that Jeremy had seen before and knew meant his sister was planning something.

“Why don’t you meet him, and we’ll see who’s better?” she offered, knowing that there was no real contest to be had. “He’ll be picking me up after school, so just be outside waiting if you really think you’re the better choice.”

“Fine, I’ll be there.” Ryan said before getting up and walking away, and Jeremy ended the recording.

“Here.” he said as he slid his sister’s phone back across the table. “You might as well call him and let him know to expect a teenage boy trying to fight him when he gets here.”

“Oh, I was planning on it.” Elena said as she hit 1 on her speed dial, and Jeremy saw the way her entire being shifted as Damon answered. “Hey, baby, I’m about to send you something that you need to watch before you pick me up this afternoon…let’s just say that, by the time this afternoon gets here, you’ll be glad that Jer has practice and my parents are both working late today…and I love you, too, but I’ve gotta go before Jeremy barfs up his lunch…I’ll see you then. Bye, baby.”

When the final bell rung hours later, Elena wasn’t alone as she made her way outside. Word of her rejection of Ryan had gotten around school after lunch, and even a few of the teachers were eager to see the outcome. Elena spotted Alessia as she made her way down the front steps, and the witch gave her a wink and a smile. Elena giggled quietly before walking over to where Damon was leaning against the Camaro, in all his John Varvatos-clad glory, with his sunglasses sliding down his nose as he watched her. As soon as she was within reach, he pulled her close and kissed her deeply.

“I take it you watched the video like I said.” she told him quietly as they parted, and he grinned, moving his sunglasses to hang from the neck of his t-shirt.

“Princess, I can’t wait to get you home.” he whispered, his lips hovering by her ear as he spoke. “But first, I gotta handle this punk.”

Elena heard the footsteps behind her and knew that it was Ryan, so she moved past Damon to set her school bag in the car. She wondered how the encounter would go, but she knew that Damon would hold back for her sake. They still had a few months in New York, and killing one of her classmates in broad daylight wouldn’t make her life any easier.

“-ou must be Ryan.” she heard the vampire say, and she knew he was putting effort into restraining himself. “Word of advice, when a lady says ‘No,’ she means no.”

“If this is about what happened during lunch, that was just a misunderstanding.” Ryan lied, and Elena watched the way Damon’s eyes narrowed and grew cold at his audacity, embracing their natural, icy hue. “I swear, I had no idea you were her boyfriend, and I never would’ve thought about asking her out if I had known.”

“You’re not wrong about that last part, but you’re lying about the first half of that lame-ass attempt at an excuse for me to not knock the shit out of you. Jeremy recorded the whole thing, and Elena sent me the video probably as soon as you left her table. The only ‘misunderstanding’ that occurred was your inability to take rejection. She said she wasn’t interested, and you accused her of lying and said that you had a claim to her because you’d announced your intentions to ask her out without considering that she might actually turn you down because she’s already in a committed relationship. You also upset the kid, which isn’t cool, but let’s table that one for now.” he said, the arm he now had securely wrapped around the doppelgänger’s shoulders being the only thing keeping him from reaching out and snapping the teenager’s neck. “If you wanna do the safe thing here, the thing that’ll leave you able to _unfortunately_ be able to reproduce in the future, don’t ever act as though you have a claim or a right to Elena unless you have a death wish. If you think I’m scary, which I can assure you that you do just by the rigidness of your stance and the fear in your eyes, her aunt and uncles are much scarier than I could ever be. If you’re lucky, it’ll be one of them instead of her grandfather who deals with you, because he’s without a doubt the most terrifying son of a bitch you’ll be lucky to never meet.”

Ryan merely nodded weakly and backed away while Elena pulled Damon towards the Camaro; he met her eyes, and the unspoken agreement to get home as soon as possible passed between them. The supernatural couple looked over towards the school once before getting into the car, and it was to see Alessia recording the incident on her own phone. Neither had any doubt that she’d be sending it to her boyfriend, and this was confirmed when they heard her whisper words that only they were capable of hearing.

“Elijah is going to love this!” she said to herself as she sent the Original the video, and neither of the pair driving away from the school could disagree.

A few hours later, as she helped him prepare dinner, Elena told Damon about her discussion via text with Caroline about their first dance. His expression shifted into one that clearly told Elena that he had an idea, and he vamped out of the room before returning with his laptop and a CD that she recognized from the concert he’d taken her to two months earlier at Madison Square Garden in lieu of them having an engagement party. Damon put the CD in the computer and selected the ninth track. Elena smiled as he took her by the hand and began to dance around the kitchen. When he started singing, clearly getting lost in the melody, she found herself glad that dinner was already in the oven because his full attention was on her and her alone.

“And I can't believe, uh, that I'm your man/And I get to kiss you, baby, just because I can/Whatever comes our way, oh, we'll see it through/And you know that's what our love can do/And in this crazy life, and through these crazy times/It's you, it's you; you make me sing/You're every line, you're every word, you're everything…” Elena beamed as he sang to her.

“This is the song. This is the song we’re dancing to for our first dance at our wedding!” she said happily, and he pressed a quick kiss to her lips. “It’s perfect.”

“It’s true.” Damon said, twirling her around as he spoke. “You’ve been my everything since before I even knew it. What I told Zach, that was barely the surface of how I’ve felt ever since June 22, 1992, and to actually say aloud how I felt that day would make me seem like a madman to anyone else.”

“Tell me about it, that day. I wanna know.” Elena said, and he nodded.

“I was around Whitmore College, doing my usual stalking of the Augustine Society members after having visited Mother’s grave, and I got the sudden urge to go back to Mystic Falls in the middle of the night on June 21.” he began, and their dancing slowed as he continued. “I’d just been there a few weeks prior, but this was the first time since I left the Confederate army that crossing into Mystic Falls actually felt like coming home. Even though I was weirdly happy to be there, I couldn’t stay in one place for very long, and I knew something was not… _normal_. So, when it got closer to time for people to be awake, I decided that I should talk to Sheila because she’s still the most powerful witch I know. I got stopped by Liz on my way, talked with her and entertained little baby Caroline for a few minutes before compelling Liz to forget that she’d seen me and went on my way to Sheila’s where, despite a battery of magical tests, she could find nothing wrong with me. She gave me chamomile tea to calm my nerves while she drank her coffee, and I started to feel more like my normal self when I’d finished the cup, so I assumed that I was fine. I thanked her and went back to stalking the Augustines, not realizing that I started calming down at the exact time you were born. My entire body felt electric for hours, and then everything was different but the same all at once. I felt like something was missing, like I didn’t know who I was anymore, so Sheila gave me the idea to go visit my sister. Four years later, it was Mia who told me to go home when the electric feeling started all over again.”

“I was four the first time I was ever alone with Grand-Klaus and Uncle Elijah.” Elena said, putting the two events together. “Lessie said that a witch’s magic is amplified when surrounded by her coven or family, and whether they have active powers or not, both of them were born from Esther; you can’t get much more powerful than the witch who literally created vampires. They amplified the powers we didn’t know I had, and I became a beacon drawing you home.”

“That was actually what I’ve been thinking happened ever since we found out about the bond.” Damon said as they came to a complete stop. “That first night your dad invited me inside, I thought I’d be sticking to the shadows and watching out for potential threats while remaining a reasonable distance from you at all times. Then, you woke up, wandered into the library, and looked at me with those eyes. That was when I knew.”

“Knew what?” she asked, and he smiled.

“That was the moment I knew that I would be as involved in your life as I could possibly be if it meant your eyes always having all the warmth, love, and light that they had that night. Your dad had just told me that you would grow up to look like the woman who’d stabbed me in the back and openly admitted to having used me for my body while preferring the company of my little brother due to what I would later find out is a spell designed to draw them together, and I saw your eyes. They’re nothing like Katherine’s, not cold or cruel unless you’re near enraged, and I made it my personal mission to ensure that they never would be. In that moment, I knew that I would put a stake through my own heart if it would make you happy, and I’d smile while doing it.” he told her, and her warm smile was all he needed. “The second I made eye-contact with you, Elena, my metaphorical humanity switch flipped itself back on, and it’ll stay that way as long as you’re in my life.”

“Well, you can feel a bit of relief in knowing that I’d never be happy again if you staked yourself and that I have no plans to remove myself from your life at any point in the future. When I said forever, baby, I meant forever.” Elena said, linking her arms around his neck and pulling him in for a long kiss.

Two days later, on Friday afternoon, Damon and Elena drove down to Mystic Falls for the weekend. Thanks to Klaus, who had been in town to do his monthly check-in on the mansion’s construction progress, Zach had been compelled to take a long weekend trip himself and wouldn’t be around to bother the couple while they were staying at the boarding house. Before the Original Hybrid had left for New York, however, the two sat down with both him and Caroline to reach a compromise on the place settings for their wedding reception. It was decided that they would use stainless steel place settings coated with an aluminum-based silver-colored paint that would pose no danger to any of the guests beyond an ordinary knife, fork, or spoon’s usage as a weapon. While silver truly had no ill effect on werewolves, the metal having a healing quality contrary to legend, Damon and Elena had agreed, for the vampires that would be attending the wedding who wouldn’t know any better, that true silver shouldn’t even be an option and that gold or brass just didn’t look like it fit with the rest of the décor. Once they had reached this agreement, Klaus bid them all farewell and left to make it back in time to go out with Rebekah and Kol like he’d agreed to do.

Unlike Klaus, Caroline didn’t leave once the decision was made. Instead, she accompanied the pair of them to the boarding house where they were meeting with a local baker for a cake tasting. Liz had called during the meeting with Klaus to let them know that the baker had arrived at the boarding house where the sheriff had been waiting to let her into the house at Damon’s request. The woman had no idea who her potential clients were, as Caroline and Klaus had been handling everything locally while Damon and Elena had been in New York, so neither of them held it against her when they entered the kitchen with Caroline and unintentionally caused the woman to jump in surprise.

“Okay, guys, this is Margie Gilmore, owner of the Mystic Bakery in town.” Caroline introduced them. “Margie, these two are mine and your clients. Now, before I tell you their names, I ask you to remember the confidentiality agreement you signed for Niklaus Mikaelson and myself: you can’t tell anyone the names of these particular clients and can only tell people that you’re working on an order for the Mikaelson wedding if asked.”

“Yes, I can only say that the order is for the Mikaelson wedding if asked what it is I’m working on, and I can’t say who the bride and groom are if asked at all.” Margie said, and Elena knew that her Grand-Klaus had obviously compelled the woman.

“Great!” Caroline chirped, her serious demeanor being replaced by her natural, bubbly self. “Margie, meet Damon Salvatore and Elena Gilbert-Mikaelson.”

“Salvatore, Gilbert, and Mikaelson? I think I’m starting to see why everything about this is so top secret.” the baker said, eyes shifting between the couple before her. “I did wonder why we were having this meeting at the Salvatore Boarding House while Zach Salvatore is out of town.”

“Uncle Zach doesn’t technically own the house because it was left to me when my parents died. He’s really been serving at the caretaker while I’ve been living in New York with the Gilberts and my brother’s been living with family in Chicago.” Damon told her, sticking to the backstory that they’d established. “Zach doesn’t like that the house has been legally mine ever since I turned eighteen, so I usually only visit when I know he’s not here.”

“Grayson and Miranda Gilbert adopted me via a closed adoption when I was three days old, and my birth mother was a member of the Mikaelson family. They tracked me down after finding out about my twin sister, also given up for adoption, and they’ve been apart of my family and my name ever since.” Elena added.

“Your birth mother _was_ , not _is_ a member of the Mikaelson family?” Margie asked, and Elena frowned. “I hate to be blunt, but is she no longer with us?”

“Isobel is alive somewhere, but she’s dead to all of us. I know my grandparents on her side bought her a cemetery plot and a headstone, but I’ve seen her since they had her declared dead. She abandoned us all and has no remorse for what she did. My technical stepdad, her now-ex-husband, spent over a year searching for her before he found me and decided to quit looking. He’s ironically invited to the wedding while she’s not.” the doppelgänger remarked, and Caroline brightened.

“So, Ric is coming to the wedding?” she asked, and the couple nodded.

“Not only did we specifically ask him to be there, but he’s Jenna’s date.” Elena told her, and the blonde grinned.

“Oh, that’s so cute!” she cooed, shaking herself to sober up as she remembered what they were all there for in the first place. “Right, cake tasting time.”

“Yes, cake!” Margie jumped back into action, arranging sample plates along the countertop. “Caroline told me that the two of you tend to walk the line between traditional and unique, so I have three more traditional flavors as well as three more signature flavors that I’ve had do well.”

The tasting part of the cake tasting soon began, and Elena and Damon answered the questions Margie asked them in between bites. She asked about the proposal, about the number of guests they were expecting, and about the planning process. Both were quick to admit that Caroline had taken on the brunt of the planning herself with them being in New York for nearly the entire time since their engagement, but the blonde shrugged off any worry, concern, or feeling sorry for her that the two had because she was enjoying the process and always left the final decisions up to them. She did however have the final guest tally, and Elena had to take another bite of cake to keep herself from laughing at the look on Margie’s face.

“Two-hundred guests?” she asked in disbelief.

“Only a handful of them are actually Mystic Falls residents, and most of them we’ve never actually met. The Mikaelson family is sort of a big deal in certain circles, and it makes our wedding an important society event.” Damon explained, lifting his fork to his mouth but stopping short as a familiar scent caught his attention. “What flavor is this?”

“It’s a honey cake. Why? I wasn’t informed of any allergies.” Margie answered, and Damon put his fork down and stepped back from the counter.

“Is the honey natural or artificial?” he asked, and she frowned.

“I always use all-natural honey in my cakes. Is this a problem?” she asked in reply, and he sighed.

“That one is an automatic ‘No.’ Honey, natural honey, is an allergy of mine.” he said, and Caroline furrowed her brow while Elena gently rubbed Damon’s arm.

“Here, try this one, baby.” she said, picking up her own fork and bringing it to his mouth which was opened to meet the bit of cake. “You’ll love it.”

“This one is amazing. What is this?” he asked as soon as he’d swallowed the bite, and Margie let out a sigh of relief. “Is there _real_ bourbon in this?”

“That would be the bourbon pecan crunch cake, and I strive to always use the best possible ingredients in my cakes.” the baker told him, and she watched as all three of the people sitting across from her burst into laughter.

“We’ll be ordering this one, Margie.” Caroline said, calming herself down quickly.

“Damon is something of a bourbon connoisseur, meaning he has one of the most expensive bottles of bourbon in the world in his collection and knows its entire history off the top of his head, and this is the one flavor of cake beyond what comes in a boxed mix in the supermarket that I know how to bake myself because it’s his favorite. We make one together every year for our birthdays.” Elena explained, and Damon just smiled as he leaned in to kiss her lightly on the lips.

“With the exception of Elena’s Sweet Sixteen, we’ve shared our birthdays as long as we’ve known one another; mine is June 18th, and hers is four days later on the 22nd.” he added, and she let her head fall onto his shoulder as Margie awed at them.

“Well, let’s get started on the paperwork process, and I’ll make sure that this piece of edible art will be ready for your big day.” the baker told them, and all three smiled at her.

Margie left about half an hour later, but Caroline still remained. Damon asked if she wanted to stay for dinner, and she’d agreed a little too quickly for his liking; in all the years he’d known Caroline Forbes, she always tended to make herself scarce when it was just him and Elena around, and she’d informed him over Thanksgiving that she’d normally done so because she always felt like she was intruding on their time together and felt like a third-wheel. He’d passed this revelation on to Elena after they’d gotten back to New York, and while he took stock of what he had in his private food stores in the house, he listened to Elena confront her best friend on what was going on with her.

“Care, be honest, what’s wrong?” she asked the blonde.

“My mom’s working late to forget that she’s spending Valentine’s Day alone tomorrow, working again, and my dad and Stephen took off on a romantic weekend getaway. I don’t wanna go home to an empty house tonight, and Matt’s working today so he can be off tomorrow. Bonnie’s still pissed at me, so that’s also a no-go right now. I mean, whenever Mom’s been working late and Dad’s been off with Stephen the last few months, if I couldn’t go to Matt’s, I’ve actually been having dinner with Klaus and working on the wedding to distract myself.” Caroline admitted.

“I don’t need either of you here to cook dinner, so why don’t you ladies make the drive back to Care Bear’s house and pack her an overnight bag?” Damon suggested, cutting into their conversation with little forewarning. “We’d love to have you here tonight, and you’ll be with Matt tomorrow, so we can keep the loneliness at bay for a while.”

“Really?” the blonde asked with a giggle, surprised. “I would’ve thought that this weekend would’ve been set aside for you two going at it on every available surface in the house!”

“With as unprotected as this place is against supernatural threats combined with the fact that Mystic Falls is a supernatural Mecca, we tend to stick to our wing.” Damon teased back, and she stuck her tongue out at him before giggling again.

“Thanks, Damon, really. You guys are my best friends, and I really am glad that you’ll be here even if it means that Uncle Grayson and Aunt Miranda won’t be. Sometimes, I’m pretty sure that you guys are more so my family than either of my parents.” she said in a quiet, serious voice, and the vampire gave her a small, genuine smile in response.

“You _are_ my family, Caroline, and you’re definitely one of, if not the biggest selling point for us moving here in the first place.” he said before turning to Elena, hating that Liz and Bill had inadvertently made their daughter so insecure. “Can we tell her about the thing Rachel saw?”

“Only if she consents to a small bit of compulsion just so word doesn’t get out before we’re ready.” Elena replied, and Caroline reached up to remove the vervain necklace she wore.

“I trust you both, so go ahead.” she agreed, and Damon had her meet his eyes.

“You will not repeat what I'm about to tell you to anyone without mine _and_ Elena’s consent.” he said, and she repeated the words flatly before he continued. “Though we have no fucking clue how, Elena and I are going to have biological children, three to be exact, and at least one will be a girl.”

“Holy shit!” Caroline exclaimed, grinning ear-to-ear. “How do you know?”

“Alessia did her training under a witch named Laura Davis, and Laura’s daughter Rachel was her training partner, more or less. I ran into her in the park one day, she’s a magical nanny for a rich family in the city, and she had a vision of exactly what I just told you.” Damon said, smiling widely himself.

“She said that our daughter looks just like Damon, only a girl, and I said that she’ll be absolutely beautiful.” Elena added. “We’re gonna ask Aunt Rebekah for help researching after her trip to London to check on the old Mikaelson house because magical bonds are her area of expertise and Uncle Kol thinks that we could be right in thinking that it’s related to our bond.”

“Why are you telling me this if you don’t want anyone to know just yet?” Caroline asked, slightly confused. “I can’t be of much help seeing as how I only know the little bit about the supernatural that I know because you told me.”

“We’re not asking you to help us research the Who, What, When, Where, Why, and How of it all, Barbie.” Damon said, his tone serious despite the nickname. “We’re telling you because Elena and I both couldn’t think of a better role model for our daughter than her Auntie Caroline because, if only between you and her mother, she is going to grow up looking up to not one, but two of the strongest, smartest, bravest, most loyal, most loving, most beautiful women that I’ve ever met. You are just as much my sister and Jeremy is my brother, and I know I love you both equal to how I love Mia and Stefan.”

Caroline tried to form words, but nothing came from her mouth when she opened it, so she moved around the kitchen island and wrapped Damon in a tight hug. He squeezed her back gently before letting her leave with Elena to pack a bag. He sighed once he heard the girls pull out of the driveway and promised himself that he would talk with Liz, at the very least, about Caroline’s feelings and her recently frequent dinner guest. He also told himself that he’d speak to Klaus about it as well if only because the hybrid had kept this from him. If it had been Rebekah in Caroline’s position, he wouldn’t have thought twice about telling her brothers. Knowing that it was nothing he could handle right then, Damon shook his head and resumed cooking.

Across town, Elena sat on Caroline’s bed while the blonde packed her overnight bag. She was preparing herself to leave the boarding house and go straight to Matt’s house without needing to stop at her own house first, and Elena understood her reasoning. Knowing that Liz would be at work, it meant that she could spend less time sitting by herself with only her own intrusive thoughts for company. If Bonnie wasn’t still angry with both of them, the doppelgänger thought to herself, this problem wouldn’t exist.

Despite the explanations from both girls, Damon, Grayson, Miranda, and Sheila the day of Elena’s emancipation and the conversations that they’d had with her a couple of weeks later, the young Bennett witch had not reacted well to knowing that everyone around her seemed to know her family’s secret before she herself did. When she had walked in on Caroline and Klaus discussing centerpieces and met the hybrid for the first time, Bonnie had been even less enthused to discover that her mother, Abby, had ran off after nearly draining herself of her magic while performing a spell to imprison Klaus’ stepfather, Mikael, when the girls had been all of three-years-old. Blaming Klaus, and Elena due to her being Mikael’s target at that time, Bonnie had demanded that Caroline make a choice between their friendship and her relationship with the Mikaelson clan. It had taken all of three seconds for Caroline to choose the Mikaelsons, Gilberts, and Damon, and she wasn’t shy with her reasoning when Bonnie questioned her decision. Miranda was her godmother, Grayson her godfather, and she had always been welcome in their home; Jeremy, Elena, and Damon were the closest thing to siblings that she’d ever had; in the short few interactions they’d had, Kol had yet to fail to make her laugh no matter how lame the joke; Rebekah had been texting her daily affirmations as to why she will always be more than “just a dumb blonde” ever since they’d exchanged numbers over Thanksgiving break; Elijah had taught her to drive when both of her parents had been too busy; and Klaus always made an effort to temper her neurotic tendencies when they got out of hand and encouraged her love for event planning. They were her family, and no true friend would ask someone to choose between a friendship and their family.

“Bonnie will come around, Care, I’m sure of it.” Elena said hopefully. “You and I know better than most anyone how hard it is to accept that you’ve been abandoned by a parent because they want to, not because they had to, and Bonnie has to deal with that before she can deal with anything else.”

“I agree with you, and I wanna give her another chance at friendship when she’s ready, but what kind of person asks someone to choose between their friendship and their family? How am I supposed to trust her again?” Caroline asked, and her best friend shrugged.

“The only thing you can do is trust yourself to make the right call when the time comes, Care, and I know you will. Like Damon said, you’re one of the smartest women either he or I have ever met.” Elena replied, and Caroline remembered another statement Damon had made earlier in the evening and decided to ask about it.

“Is Damon really allergic to natural honey?” she wondered, and Elena chuckled.

“One type of honeyflower, the one bees use when pollinating flowers and making honey, is a variety of verbena, better known as vervain. Natural honey, sourced originally by the bees from the flower itself, is mildly toxic to vampires. That’s why, even with as unhealthy as it is when you compare it to the natural stuff, Damon only ever uses artificial honey when he’s cooking or having tea.” she pointed out, and Caroline let out a cackle of laughter.

“I suppose we can take a bumblebee theme off the list for the nursery then, huh?” the blonde replied, and her best friend smiled.

“You know you’ll be my kids’ godmother, right, Care?” she asked in reply, and her friend nodded excitedly.

“We made a pact when we were six, Lena.” the human reminded the doppelgänger. “Immortality, magic, and bloodlines won’t stop me from keeping my end of the deal.”

“At least I know you and Jeremy will be a good aunt and uncle for my kids. I haven’t officially met Mia, so I’m withholding judgement there, but I worry about Stefan and how he’ll react to everything.” Elena admitted as her best friend continued packing. “I’ve foreseen him going on a Ripper binge, but I have no clue what sends him spiraling that badly. I don’t want for my relationship with Damon or our children to be the reason his little brother falls off the blood wagon.”

“You won’t be.” Caroline insisted. “Stefan is an addict, and he’ll have cravings from time to time. If he decides to give in to those cravings, whatever he tries to use to throw the blame off himself is just an excuse because, in knowing that he’s an addict, he’s going to give in because he wants to and for no other reason than that.”

“Klaus?” Elena wondered, but Caroline shook her head.

“Kelly and Vicki Donovan.” she corrected, and the brunette made a noise of understanding. “Matt’s mom…she didn’t do as well as ours did after high school. I’d say that you know what it’s like, but being away from Mystic Falls for most of your life, you haven’t been as exposed to the Us vs. Them society we’ve got around here. It’s like living in an episode of _Gilmore Girls_ where Hartford’s society parties are happening in the same place as all of Stars Hollow’s little local festivals. If you aren’t a part of the upper crust or don’t have a unique talent or ability that others in town don’t, you fall between the cracks. Kelly was a single, unmarried mother of two after Matt’s dad left, and she sought affection, pleasure, and support from whoever would offer it. Vicki and Matt raised themselves with help from my parents, and then Vicki ended up following in her mother’s footsteps once Matt was old enough to take care of himself. Now, Kelly’s living with her boyfriend of the month a few towns over, and Vicki’s dealing drugs to our classmates. I’ve lost count how many times I’ve had this discussion with Matt.”

“Well, I guess after however many times you have, it’s made you really good at having it. I’ll probably have to hear this again, calling it now, but thanks, Care.” Elena said, and her best friend sat down on the bed beside her and pulled her into a hug.

“Anytime, Lena.” Caroline replied with a light laugh.

It was hours later when a lone figure approached the boarding house. Damon and Elena had let Caroline chose a room for herself, the one furthest from them while still being in their wing of the house of course, and all three were fast asleep by the time the figure pulled itself through an unlocked window on the other side of the house. Straightening himself up as he looked around his rarely used bedroom, Stefan Salvatore listened to see how many people were in the house. He heard his brother’s vampiric heartbeat alongside one that sounded neither vampire nor human. Louder than either of the other two, however, was the clearly human heartbeat that he knew couldn’t belong to Zach because he’d called his nephew to say that he’d be in town to discuss what Zach had called him about, only to discover that the human had suddenly decided to go to Myrtle Beach, South Carolina for the weekend.

Deciding to investigate, Stefan moved quietly through the house until he came to the room where the heartbeat was emanating from and silently opened the door. The room was dark, but that wasn’t a problem for his enhanced sight. Moving into the room, his eyes snapped to the bed where he saw a young blonde woman fast asleep, and he felt something in him shift. This girl, whoever she was, could not have been the girl Zach had been talking about, and Stefan had no idea why she was in the house. Despite knowing that this was not the Katherine look-alike related to Klaus Mikaelson, he couldn’t force himself to leave the room once he’d seen her. Intrigued by his sudden rush of attachment to the mysterious girl, he decided to take a peek at her dreams but found himself blocked. Taking a better look at the girl’s form, he saw the opal locket hanging around her neck and realized that it must’ve contained vervain. This meant that she was safe from his brother and the Katherine look-alike, but it didn’t explain her presence.

Stefan looked about the room for the girl’s belongings, and a hot-pink handbag caught his eye. Vamping over to where it sat in a nearby chair, he found a wallet and compared the photo on the driver’s license inside to the sleeping girl. Determining that it was a match, he noted that her name was Caroline Elizabeth Forbes and that she’d recently turned seventeen. He knew of the Forbes family, that the sheriff was the ex-wife of the last male scion of the bunch, so it was easy enough to infer that this girl was the sheriff’s daughter. Zach had told him that the sheriff was close with his brother, so it made a little more sense to him then as to why the girl, _Caroline_ he told himself, was in the boarding house.

He couldn’t say how long he sat in the chair, her purse now on the dresser, just watching her as she slept. He only moved when the first rays of morning light began to appear from the cracks where the curtains met, and she moved at the same time. He froze in place, hoping that she would just roll over and remain asleep, but things changed when her eyes fluttered open and locked with his through the darkness. She didn’t make a sound when she realized that she wasn’t alone, but he heard her heart rate increase as he took a step towards her.

“I’m sorry! Please, just go back to sleep and forget that I was ever here.” he told her quietly. “I was just leaving!”

“Who are you?” she asked, her voice barely loud enough even for him to hear it with his enhanced sense.

“I’m Stefan Salvatore, the little brother Damon promised to give a lifetime of misery.” he answered, and she reached over to turn on the lamp on the bedside table.

“He doesn’t mean that, not since he met Elena.” she said, tilting her head curiously as she looked at him. “By the way, why are you in my room instead of your own?”

“I heard a heartbeat that didn’t seem to fit. I knew Zach wasn’t here, and I was curious as to what human would be in the house with my brother and his Katherine look-alike.” Stefan admitted with a slightly bashful expression. “I, uh, looked through your purse to find out who you are, and I apologize, Miss Forbes.”

“First, Caroline is fine.” she told him. “Second, she’s not Damon’s Katherine look-alike. Elena is a doppelgänger, as is Katherine, and she’s my sister…well, godsister. She’s nothing like Katherine, and Damon loves her for her. Their literal soulmates, confirmed by four powerful witches.”

“My brother isn’t capable of love.” Stefan said, though he felt unsettled by the look that crossed the blonde’s face.

“How long do you plan on being in town, Stefan?” Caroline asked. “I could tell you things about your brother that would seem impossible if I hadn’t been there to witness them myself, and I could start by telling you that he asked me to stay here last night because I told him and Elena that I didn’t want to go back to an empty house; he loves me in the same way he loves Mia, as his little sister, and he doesn’t like seeing me upset or in pain. Damon is the furthest thing from incapable of love, especially for his siblings and Elena.”

“My experiences with my brother haven’t shown me the same things, but I could be around for as long as you needed to convince me.” he replied, and she smiled.

“You should probably go until at least tomorrow night after Damon and Elena leave for New York, but I’ll be at the construction site just outside of town Monday after school lets out for the day. The landscapers are supposed to be mapping out the gardens, and I have Klaus’ authorization to make changes as necessary for the wedding.” she told him, and he smiled back at her in spite of his confusion. “See you there?”

“See you there.” he agreed, and then he was gone.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Okay, so the bit about vervain being a honeyflower is a real thing. I was doing some research on vervain, and it turns out that common vervain (Verbena Officinalis) and many other plants in the verbena family are commonly grown as honeyflowers and are common in butterfly gardens as well.
> 
> As far as that ending, even Stefan was aware of how weird he was being, and I did everything I could to stop him. We both lost that battle, and he ended up doing what he did. He does get better, and behaves less weird, in the coming chapters.
> 
> Until next time, sweets...XOXO


	11. Primo Unus Tenens

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "I don't wanna be the last man standing/I don't wanna be the lonely one/Picking petals when the party's over/No, it's not any fun..."  
>  -"Hollow," by Tori Kelly

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: I might've gone on a Tori Kelly binge while writing, sweets, and that has definitely contributed to the mood of the story. I hope you all enjoy it!

The next two months seemed to fly by for Caroline between planning her best friends’ wedding and sneaking away for secret meetings with Stefan after school. As she’d expected, he hadn’t been so sure of her stories about his brother in the beginning, but he became a believer the more she told him. Stefan had his own stories to tell as well, and Caroline loved to listen to him talk about the different moments in history he’d witnessed. When he’d told her about his time in the army during the second World War, she’d offered him a shoulder to cry on as he spoke of the men he’d been unable to save because of his struggles with his bloodlust. She’d told him something similar to what she’d told Elena in February about the Donovan women without giving him any names, and he’d thanked her for being honest and supportive. Their meetings had become more frequent by the time the wedding was two weeks away, and Caroline found herself trying to convince Stefan that he needed to see Damon soon because he’d never forgive himself if he missed his big brother’s wedding.

“What if he doesn’t want me there?” Stefan asked, making what would’ve been a valid point to anyone other than the blonde. “He’s had months to reach out and ask me to be there, but he hasn’t; if he wanted me there, he’d have reached out to me months ago. I found out about him and Elena through you and Zach!”

“Damon _does_ want you there, Stefan, but he won’t ask because he’s scared both that you’ll refuse or that you’ll try kidnapping Elena because of the Travelers’ spell. Damon has spent most of his life thinking that he’s never gonna be enough or picked first, and this has made him think that even his soulmate would chose you over him if presented with the choice.” Caroline responded, and the vampire looked at her with a surprised expression.

“I can honestly say that haven’t thought about Elena more than a handful of times since I found out that she existed. I never even made it to their room the night I was in the boarding house and met you, and I had no desire to after…well, I didn’t feel it necessary to see her with my own eyes or get any closer to her.” Stefan said, but Caroline caught his slip and raised an eyebrow.

“After what, Mr. Salvatore? After you went through my purse to find my ID?” she asked, and he looked away shyly.

“More like after I first saw you, Miss Forbes.” he admitted. “Looking through your purse was more to satisfy my own curiosity.”

“You were being very _Twilight_ that night, Stef, watching me sleep and all.” she teased, and he chuckled.

“I have no desire to ever behave like a _Twilight_ character again, Care, and I still don’t know why I spent so long watching you. That’s creepy even for me.” he admitted, and she laughed.

“So, will you at least talk to Damon before the wedding? It’s in two weeks.” Caroline asked, and the vampire sighed.

“I can make an effort, but I can’t promise that he’ll talk to me.” Stefan told her, but she still smiled.

“That’s all I ask.” she said, taking out her phone and sending him his brother’s number. “Call him soon.”

Stefan didn’t talk to Damon immediately. He spent more time than would’ve ever cared to admit staring at his phone, his brother’s number on the screen, scared to press the little green button to initiate the call. The idea of apologizing to Damon was almost all-consuming for him, and he’d even ignored several calls from Caroline the next day while lost in his obsessive thoughts. He didn’t realize this until his bedroom door flew open to reveal the blonde clutching her chest. She crossed the room at rapid pace for a human and pulled him into a rather tight hug while near-throwing herself into his lap

“If you ever ignore five calls in a row again, I will put vervain in your scotch.” she threatened, and he blinked up at her.

“Sorry, I spaced out thinking about calling Damon.” he replied, and she sighed.

“Don’t scare me like that, okay? I get being worried that you’ll get nothing but rejection, but you know that Damon loves you. He’s your big brother, and he’s been there for you your whole life no matter how much you’ve pissed him off and emotionally destroyed him. He’ll want to hear from you, to have your approval of his getting married. Trust me, he and I have a lot more in common than either of us wants to admit.” Caroline insisted.

“Okay, I’ll call…if you’ll stay here while I do?” Stefan replied. “If he hangs up on me, I’ll need you to talk me of a ledge.”

“I’m not going to stay in the room because he’d hear my breathing over the phone if I was too close, but I’ll be in the house. Come find me when you’re done, and we’ll talk.” she said, and he nodded before pressing the green button.

“Thanks, Care.” he said as he waited for his brother to answer, watching the blonde as she walked towards the door. “You are an angel if anyone ever was.”

“Don’t you forget it!” she called over her shoulder with a laugh before disappearing from his sight, and he chuckled just as a voice came on the line.

“ _Hello, brother._ ” Damon greeted, and Stefan felt his face split into an ecstatic expression.

“I’m glad you don’t have my number blocked, brother.” he replied. “I heard you’re getting married in a couple of weeks.”

“ _Zach spilled the beans then. I knew he would, so I’m not even mad._ ” Damon said, but Stefan could detect the slight edge to his brother’s voice. “ _I suppose you think it’s a mistake or that I’m only getting married because Elena looks like Katherine?_ ”

“Actually, I wanted to congratulate you. I don’t care what Elena looks like, and I know about the doppelgänger thing. I’ve been given a new perspective on life, on family recently, and I wanted to apologize. Damon, I’m sorry that I’ve been such an awful brother, that I forced you to become something you didn’t want to be, and that I took away your choice to live freely by unintentionally forcing you to trail behind me and clean up my messes for over a century. You have always taken care of me, even when I didn’t want you to, and you’ve kept me alive despite vowing to make the rest of my life miserable for what I’ve done. I’m also sorry that I’ve always seen the worst and ignored the best in you. I put too much faith and loyalty in Father when I should’ve put it in the person who raised me at the cost of his own childhood.” Stefan said, speaking rapidly so that Damon wouldn’t have time to interrupt.

“ _Stef…thank you._ ” Damon answered after a moment or two passed in silence. “ _I would love it if you could be at mine and Elena’s wedding, and I would love for you to be a groomsman. I can’t ask you to be my best man because I kinda already asked Elena’s brother. My only issue is that I’m worried that your presence could enact the Travelers’ spell on the doppelgängers._ ”

“Damon, I don’t think you have to worry about that. The night before Valentine’s Day, I was _in_ the boarding house trying to figure out what made Zach leave so suddenly despite him knowing that I was on my way. I made it as far as the first bedroom on your side of the house before any and all thoughts of going to see if Zach was right about Elena’s appearance vanished. I was that close to you guys, and I had no desire to do so.” Stefan said, and he smiled as he caught the scent of fudge from the kitchen.

“ _Caroline’s who made you call me._ ” Damon said, chuckling as he put two and two together. “ _I knew that there was no way Zach would’ve known about the doppelgänger thing since we never actually said anything about it to him._ ”

“She’s persistent. She also really wants her surrogate big brother to be happy, and she said that you missed me more than you were willing to outwardly admit. You owe it to her for you no longer being a black-hearted monster in my mind.” Stefan admitted.

“ _In that case, do me a favor and check your closet for a black garment bag._ ” Damon replied, and Stefan did as told, surprised when he found the bag and unzipped it to reveal a tuxedo.

“How’d you know?” Stefan asked, and his brother chuckled.

“ _I didn’t, but I hoped that you’d come around before then. Elena doesn’t know you like I do, and I saw something that clued me in as to when you two would actually meet when I was in her mind a month or so ago._ ” the older Salvatore answered.

“Why were you in her mind?” the younger Salvatore asked, confused.

“ _I’m assuming that Zach told you about Elena being Klaus’ thirty-second great-granddaughter, and Caroline would’ve told you about her being a witch, so it shouldn’t be that much of a surprise to learn that she’s a vampire/witch hybrid. When she was eight, Elena had a vision of you on a Ripper binge and fell down the stairs trying to get to me. I fed her my blood, not knowing that, as my soulmate, her body would register my blood as her blood and assume that the healing factor would always be there, and compelled her to forget the vision until she was a few years older. If she doesn’t drink from me often enough to keep my blood in her system, a small cut could kill Elena, and the levels of vampire blood she’s ingested over the last four-and-a-half years has given her the ability to use various vampire powers. We were practicing telepathy, and she showed me a vision she had of you two meeting at school. When I saw it, I could tell that you were acting like you were introducing yourself to her for the first time._ ” Damon explained, and Stefan could practically hear him grinning. “ _She’s still wearing vervain outside of practice, and I’d never invade her thoughts without her consent because Klaus still scares me and knows it._ ”

“Klaus scares anyone with sense. I get that he’s different with his family and that he’s one of the only real friends I could ever claim to have, but still, it’s Klaus.” Stefan replied with a snort.

“ _You should know that Elena has no sense by your logic. She sasses him for sport, and he can’t bring himself to ever do anything but make a smart remark back, so she’s not afraid of him. Elena knows that he’s dangerous when he wants to be, like all of us, but she lacks a true fear of all of us that she’s met._ ” Damon chuckled.

“Care’s the same, you know. She doesn’t seem to be afraid of us, and I’ve heard her on the phone with Klaus.” Stefan said, laughing along with his brother for the first time in decades.

“ _She really isn’t. In reality, Klaus is actually scared of her. Barbie’s intense, and that intensity is enough to unsettle even the oldest creatures on the planet._ ” Damon told him, and they both heard the sound that signaled that the older Salvatore was receiving another call. “ _That’s Elena, probably to let me know that she’s done with her witch training for the day, so I’ve gotta go. See you in two weeks, brother?_ ”

“See you in two weeks, brother.” Stefan replied, ending the call and making his way downstairs to where Caroline was waiting in the kitchen with fudge and alcohol.

“I made sure we had options depending on how things went. So, how’d it go?” she asked, and he reached for a piece of fudge before pressing a kiss to her cheek.

“Thank you for being a good friend, Care, and thank you for making me call him. Damon said to tell you that I’m now a groomsman and that I already have my tux. He ordered it and had it sent here a month ago, and I just found it in my closet.” he said, and she beamed.

Two weeks later, Caroline was back to being riddled with anxiety more often than she wasn’t. The wedding was happening on a Friday, and everyone in the Mikaelson-Gilbert-Salvatore family was making the trip to Mystic Falls Wednesday night for the rehearsal the following day. Rebekah had agreed to be a bridesmaid and walk with Stefan, though this unsettled Caroline for some reason that she couldn’t place, once Damon had informed everyone of his phone call with his brother. Knowing that he had no feelings for her even with as physically close as he had at one point been had made Elena feel more at ease with the younger Salvatore’s presence, and everyone was happy to welcome Stefan into the group even if it was at a distance. Everything was going according to plan for Caroline until she went to school that Wednesday and was immediately confronted by Bonnie.

“What? Are you here to force me into another impossible choice?” the blonde asked as the witch asked to talk.

“No, I want to apologize. I went to see Grams over spring break, and she gave me a lot to think about in relation to everything I’ve learned. I should never have made you chose, and I should never have blamed Klaus or Elena for what my mom did. Our moms were best friends even after the Gilberts moved to New York, and Mikael would’ve used whatever he thought necessary to get Elena’s location as well as information on his kids. If my mom hadn’t trapped him, we could all very well be dead. If I’m gonna be angry at anybody, I need to be mad at her for leaving me. What I said to you, what I did was uncalled for and beyond rude. Can you ever forgive me?” Bonnie said, and Caroline reached out to pull the other girl in for a hug.

“Of course, I forgive you, Bon!” she said. “Does this mean you’ll be at the wedding with your Grams?”

“Yes, I’ll be there.” Bonnie confirmed, and Caroline smiled. “While Emily and my mom might be slightly ungrateful given their behavior, Grams and I owe Damon a lot.”

“I’ll let Elena know when I see her for her bachelorette party tonight.” the blonde said as her name was called from a little ways down the hall by a blond football player. “Let me go see what Matt wants, and I’ll see you in class.”

“You so need to break up with him, Care, because stringing him along when you don’t feel the way you used to about him is cruel.” the witch said, and the human nodded.

“I know, and Damon and Elena said the same thing. I just don’t wanna hurt him.” she replied, giving Bonnie one more hug before walking towards where the football player was waiting.

“Hey, babe, are you and Bonnie cool again?” Matt Donovan asked as he wrapped his arm around Caroline’s shoulders, and she nodded.

“Yeah, she’s apologized for what she did, and we’re good.” she told him.

“So, can I assume that she’ll be hanging with us at the bonfire on Saturday?” Matt asked, smiling, and she stopped in her tracks.

“Matt, I’ve got the wedding on Friday, and I don’t know if I’m gonna be able to go to the party on Saturday.” Caroline said. “I’ll try my best to go, and Bonnie will be hanging out with us if I do, but you can still go if I can’t.”

“Whose wedding is it anyway? You still haven’t told me.” he pointed out, and she sighed.

“It’s my godsister’s wedding, and I’m Elena’s maid of honor. Not only are the Gilberts a founding family, but the groom is a Salvatore, so it’s kind of a big deal.” she told him.

“Zach Salvatore?” he made a face as he said the name, but she laughed and shook her head.

“No; Zach’s nephew, Damon, moved in with the Gilberts years ago and fell in love with Elena when they were kids. It’s always been the two of them, even after Elena’s brother was old enough to tag along, and none of us were surprised when they announced their engagement.” Caroline said, still chuckling. “Well, Damon’s brother was a little surprised, but they hadn’t gotten along in years until I got Stefan to actually call Damon two weeks ago.”

“You know the brother?” Matt was tense as he asked, and his girlfriend rolled her eyes.

“Stefan was living with another relative while Damon was living with the Gilberts, but I know both of them. We’ve all been friends for a while, and the founding families always know one another whether we want to or not. I mean, Tyler’s even met Elena before, though Damon wasn’t there because Tyler’s visit was the same as Damon’s annual trip to his mother’s grave. Either way, I’m friends with Stefan Salvatore; he’s actually moving home soon, so you’ll get to meet him yourself.” Caroline said, glad that they were nearing the door to her first class. “Don’t get all weird and possessive, Matt, because it’s so not an attractive look on you.”

Matt and Caroline parted ways at her classroom’s door, and the next few hours passed by as she’d hoped. School was relatively boring compared to what she knew awaited her over the weekend, and she put in just enough effort that no one would think that she wasn’t paying attention. When the final bell rang, she hurried to her locker and grabbed everything she’d need before Monday as she wouldn’t be at school for the next two days due to the wedding. Matt offered to walk her to her car because of someone he’d seen waiting outside, and she’d acquiesced despite how irritating she found his behavior. Her irritation grew when they got outside and she heard him say that the guy was by her car now. Looking up, she saw that Stefan was waiting for her by her car and let out a sigh before turning to Matt.

“ _That’s_ Stefan Salvatore, and he’s supposed to be here. He’s helping me with wedding stuff, and I offered to drive him to the Mikaelson estate tomorrow for the rehearsal; we’re also meeting up with everyone else tonight for dinner before we split up for the bachelor and bachelorette parties.” Caroline said, knowing that Stefan could hear her and hoping that he’d go along with her story.

“The Mikaelson estate?” Matt questioned, and Caroline groaned inwardly.

“Elena’s adopted, and her birth mother was a member of the Mikaelson family until they all but disowned her after they found out about Elena and her twin sister, Katherine, being given up and separated. Family is the most important thing to the Mikaelsons, and Isobel’s actions went against the family. I’ve known them for years, seeing as how they became friends with the Gilberts and made sure to be a part of Elena’s life when we were kids, and Klaus offered up the mansion for the wedding before it was even completed.” she said, and Matt gave a slow nod.

“You sound busy, so I’ll head on to practice and call you later, babe.” he said, and she gave him a small smile as he kissed her forcefully before heading towards the locker rooms.

“He seems… _nice_.” Stefan said as she walked over to the car and put her school bag in the back seat.

“You know what you’re like on a binge, unable to stop and always craving more?” he nodded as she spoke. “Think of the human equivalent only with drugs, alcohol, and sex, and then you’ve got Matt’s mom and older sister, the people I told you about when we were discussing your addiction problems. He’s got his whole life planned out because he craves stability almost as much as they crave their vices.”

“I’d say that you probably feature very heavily in his future.” the vampire remarked as they got in the car. “I’d also say that my presence makes him uncomfortable enough to think that he has to put on some display of dominance because he thinks it’d make me back off.”

“Bonnie says I need to break up with him instead of stringing him along, but I don’t want to hurt him. Yeah, that white picket fence life is nice, but I don’t know how to tell him that my plans are different. He’s got his sights set on a football scholarship for college, trying to go pro if he can and coming back here to maybe one day manage the Mystic Grill if he can’t. Elena and I both have had our sights on Cornell University since we were old enough to understand what college is and why we need to go. I have plans for a live beyond Mystic Falls, but Matt doesn’t. Even if he went into the NFL, he expects me to be home with the kids waiting for him to come back when the season’s over or whatever. That’s not my plan.” Caroline admitted, pausing for a moment before adding. “Why would he think he needed to make you back off?”

“For most guys, when your girlfriend has a male friend she’s never told you about, it can make you feel a bit insecure. When Lexi first met Lee, he thought I was her boyfriend until she told him that I’m just her friend who’s kinda like a little brother.” Stefan offered as a possible reason for Matt’s behavior. “Is he your date for the wedding?”

“Oh, no, not even a thought. Matt doesn’t know that the supernatural exists, and to invite him would be to tell him. We all agreed that it’d be for the best that he not know for as long as possible because it would make him an unnecessary target for people like Katherine.” she said, and he made a noise of understanding. “You said ‘For one,’ so that must mean that there’s more than one reason for Matt to be acting like that.”

“Have you seen yourself in the mirror, angel? If I was your boyfriend, I’d be jealous of all the guys staring at you without question.” he told her with a chuckle.

“If you were my boyfriend, then you would know me well enough to know that you’d have my loyalty and have no reason to be jealous. I just don’t understand why Matt doesn’t see it that way. I’m not the kind of girl who would do that.” she replied, and he agreed.

“Part of it’s a vamp thing. Even unintentionally, we make humans feel as though we’re dangerous unless we make a conscious effort to appear no more dangerous than the next person.” Stefan said, though Caroline shrugged at his reasoning.

“I guess I’ve just gotten used to vamps, then, because none of you make me feel that way. I _know_ Elena isn’t scared of the vampires we know, and she’s even got a bit of a jealousy kink with Damon; she told me that Jeremy recorded another guy asking her out, not that this guy knew about Damon before he asked her out, just so she could send your brother the video because only the two of them were going to be home that afternoon.” she said, and her companion laughed.

“She definitely sounds like she’s my brother’s soulmate. Elena’s everything he needs with a little bit more to keep him on his toes.” he said, and she agreed.

“He’s the same way with her. Damon is the only person that she’s ever completely fallen apart in front of, and he makes it almost his life’s purpose to put her back together whenever she does. He always knows exactly what to do to make her feel okay again.” Caroline said, smiling softly. “They bring out the best in one another, and I think that’s what your soulmate is supposed to do.”

“I’ll find out one day, I suppose.” Stefan said, continuing after she shot him a confused glance. “As a doppelgänger of Silas, I’m under the same effects of soul magic as Elena, Katherine, and whoever the unlucky distant Salvatore relation to look like me is, so I’ll hopefully meet my other half someday.”

“Well, whoever she is, Stef, she’s going to be a very lucky girl.” Caroline said as she started the car and began driving to the boarding house so that they could make preparations for Damon and Elena’s respective bachelor and bachelorette parties.

A few hours later, Stefan was pacing in the boarding house library. He’d been doing this for the past forty-five minutes, and Caroline was getting irritated with him where she sat watching him from the sofa. She understood why he was so nervous, however, as she was well aware that this would be the first time he’d seen Damon in over twenty years since the Damon he’d seen fifteen years previously hadn’t been Damon at all. The thing that annoyed her was the pacing itself. Making sure to get her timing just right, Caroline grabbed a throw pillow and launched it across the room at the vampire, hitting him in the side of the head.

“Hey! What was that for?” he exclaimed.

“Stop pacing! You’re driving me insane, Stefan! Your brother isn’t going to suddenly hate you just by seeing you; he’ll barely notice when Aunt Miranda, Jenna, Alessia, Rebekah, and I take Elena to the mansion for the night!” she replied, watching the way his expression shifted slightly from worry to panic. “What?”

“They’re here.” he said, and footsteps soon sounded near the garage door in the kitchen.

A few moments later, the Mikaelsons, Gilberts, Damon, Alessia, and Alaric walked into the room. Everyone watched with bated breath as the Salvatore brothers locked eyes, each one eager to see the outcome of the reunion. Damon smiled as he took a step closer to Stefan and spoke, saying two words that said much more than they let on to anyone who didn’t know the brothers as well as the people in the room knew them.

“Hello, brother.” he said, and Stefan near-flew across the room to wrap his older brother in a tight hug.

“Hello, brother.” the younger Salvatore replied, and Damon hugged him back.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Part of me wants to feel bad for Matt, truly, but the other part knows what's in store for him and isn't really worried. Up next, sweets, is the moment you've been waiting for: Damon and Elena's Wedding Day! Until then, sweets...XOXO


	12. Tangunt Anima Mea, Tene Stricta

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "I was made for loving you/Even though we may be hopeless hearts just passing through/Every bone screaming, I don't know what we should do/All I know is, darling, I was made for loving you..."  
>  -"I Was Made for Loving You (ft. Ed Sheeran)," by Tori Kelly

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Hello, sweets. You are cordially invited to the wedding of Elena Beth Gilbert-Mikaelson and Damon Francesco Salvatore, hosted by Niklaus Mikaelson, and planned by Caroline Elizabeth Forbes. RSVP to the reception (i.e. the next chapter) in the comments below!

Elena smiled as she woke two mornings later to the warmth of the sun on her face as she lay in her bed at the Mikaelson mansion. Her bachelorette “party” had been a rather fun spa night with Caroline, Miranda, Liz, Jenna, Rebekah, and Bonnie who had been invited last minute by Caroline at Elena’s request; the wedding rehearsal had gone according to plan the following day, and it had been decided by the Gilbert parents and Original siblings that she would spend the night at the mansion again Thursday night under the watchful eyes of her parents, Klaus, and Kol while Damon remained at the boarding house under supervision from Stefan, Alessia, Elijah, and Rebekah to ensure that they didn’t see one another before the ceremony after everyone had awoken Thursday morning to find Elena in her room at the mansion but sleeping soundly curled into Damon’s chest despite not having been in the same house on Wednesday night.

Elena wondered if Damon was awake now, thinking of her just as she was thinking of him, and it didn’t take long for her to get an answer. On her bedside table, her phone buzzed in an attempt to get her attention. Seeing Damon’s name on her caller ID, she giggled as she answered.

“Good morning, baby.” she greeted, warmth radiating throughout her body as she heard his deep chuckle on the other end of the line.

“ _Good morning, princess._ ” he replied. “ _I’ve decided that I don’t like waking up without you beside me. Therefore, it can be inferred from this that your family is pure evil for insisting that we keep to this one tradition in particular._ ”

“I don’t like it either, but at least they didn’t take our phones.” Elena told him, giggling to herself as she heard Klaus swear from his room as he realized that she was talking to Damon. “The thought didn’t even cross Klaus’ mind from the sound of it.”

“ _Yeah, it crossed Stef’s, but I told him I’d have Caroline put vervain in his scotch if he tried. I don’t know what I’d do if I didn’t have a way to hear your voice, Elena._ ” her fiancé said.

“Here’s to hoping that you’ll never have to, Damon.” she said, sighing as she heard Klaus nearing her door. “I think I have to hang up now.”

“ _Me too. I can hear my brother outside my door, so I can only imagine what you’re dealing with, probably either Klaus or your mom._ ” he replied, and she chuckled.

“I love you, Damon.” she said. “I’ll see you at five o’clock. I’ll be the one in white, so don’t be late.”

“ _I love you, too, Elena, and I’ll see you at five o’clock._ ” Damon told her as they ended the call, and Elena dropped her phone into her pillowcase just as an added layer of protection from her family before crossing the room and opening the door to reveal Klaus leaning against the frame.

“Good morning, lite lys, and congratulations. It’s finally your big day.” he said, opening his arms for a hug which she gladly gave him.

“Thanks, Grand-Klaus.” she told him, wondering if it was more than just her phone call with Damon that brought him to her door.

“Perceptive little thing, you are, my dear. I have to step out for a bit this afternoon, the Faction wants to meet before the ceremony, so I thought that we could have breakfast before Caroline gets here so that you ladies can start getting ready.” Klaus said, and Elena nodded, understanding what he wasn’t saying.

Having a family breakfast the morning of her wedding was nice, Elena thought as she sat around the kitchen table with her parents, Klaus, Kol, and Jeremy half-an-hour later. She knew that Klaus was feeling rather melancholy about it, though, as this was something he would’ve done with his own daughter had Elijah not had to keep her hidden from Finn for as long as he did. Ever since she’d learned about her relation to Klaus, there had been many times where Elena had sat with him and listened to him recall that first year of Ylva’s life. He had loved his infant daughter wholly and purely, and Elena was happy to let him live out the experiences he never had the chance to have with her ancestor. She thought of her own future-daughter and knew that she and Damon would want to be able to do the same things with her, to be there for all of her important moments in life. She thought of how this entire day was happening when it was so that her own parents could be there for her most important milestone to date. She thought of the love of her family, and suddenly every lightbulb in the room burst.

“I’m sorry!” she yelped, realizing that it had been her who’d caused it once she saw the expression on her uncle’s face.

“It’s alright, love, you didn’t mean it. Our power is rooted in our emotions, and when a witch with as little training as you’ve had looses herself in her emotions, sometimes you generate too much power for your body to contain.” Kol soothed her worried as Klaus began to clean up the mess. “Tell me, what was it you were thinking about when this occurred?”

“I was just thinking about how lucky I am to have a family that loves me as much as mine does.” she told him, keeping the finer details to herself.

“Actions that stem from a true, honest love are always going to be powerful. Love is enough to brighten even the blackest of hearts…look what it’s done to your Grand-Klaus.” her uncle joked as he gestured over to his older brother who was sweeping up broken light bulbs on the other side of the kitchen. “I didn’t think I’d see the day when he actually _felt_ again, yet, here we are.”

“I’ll have you know, the love I have for my children, my grandchildren, and so on and so forth has never diminished in capacity in a thousand years.” Klaus said as he emptied the dustpan full of glass into the trash can. “That being said, Elena happens to be the first in a very long time who actually loves me back.”

“Well, seeing as how you were kinda planning on killing Katherine, I can’t actually blame her; you kinda scare Nadia, and Isobel’s just an all-around disappointment, so I don’t exactly have what you would call tough competition in that regard.” Elena reasoned. “Marcel, however, is a spoiled brat who doesn’t deserve even a quarter of what he has and should be lucky I’m generous enough to include him on the guest list since he doesn’t know that I know that he’s planning on gatecrashing my wedding.”

“If it wasn’t older than he is, I’d almost wonder if Marcel wasn’t the inspiration for the Parable of the Prodigal Son.” said Grayson with a chuckle, and Klaus shrugged as he rejoined them at the table before sending Kol off to find more lightbulbs.

“I taught him to read from a Bible, but I never thought he’d pick and choose which lessons to take to heart.” the hybrid said, taking a long drink from his coffee.

“I know the Faction has to meet before the ceremony, but Father O’Connell will be able to meet with Sheila beforehand, right? As much as Damon and I wanted her to officiate the entire wedding, thanks to Virginia state laws, we need both of them.” Elena asked, and he nodded.

“I’m just glad he was already going to be up this way to visit his niece. He said that she’s in the psychology program at Whitmore, so don’t let me forget to ask Jenna if she knows any women by the name Camille O’Connell.” Klaus told her, and she nodded.

“How is it that you guys find out that you’re required to have someone authorized by a religious order recognized by the State of Virginia to officiate the wedding three weeks before the wedding, and Klaus just happens to be friendly-acquaintances with a priest whose niece may or may not know our aunt?” Jeremy asked amusedly.

“We’re over a thousand years old, Jer, so it would be a surprise if it didn’t end up happening more frequently. The fact that this is the same priest who’s been feeding him information on his wayward son who will undoubtedly find out once he gatecrashes is the odd bit.” Kol remarked as he reentered the room with a box of lightbulbs. “A little help, Nik?”

“Until he actually sees me interacting with people, Marcel isn’t going to be certain that I’m even here. I have a reputation for being a recluse more often than a social butterfly, so me announcing to the world that our littlest Mikaelson is getting married isn’t what he’d expect of me.” Klaus said as he got up to help his brother replace the lightbulbs.

“That’s always how kids react when they discover that their parents have lives outside of them. If they can’t see it, it’s not real.” Miranda told them, and Klaus snorted out a laugh.

“Children and Elijah!” he corrected her. “I almost thought he’d combust when he and I went into town a few weeks ago and ran into the Lockwoods; as it turns out, I actually am capable of being a productive member of polite society when I want to be.”

“Just don’t sleep with Carol Lockwood, please? I pride myself on you having better taste than that because your actions are a reflection on the rest of this family.” Elena said to him, and he gave her a wolfish grin.

“Why would I sleep with her when it’s much more fun to just set her husband’s teeth on edge because he can unknowingly sense that I’m a true Alpha wolf while he isn’t?” Klaus’ teasing tone sent the young bride into a fit of laughter, and soon the others were laughing right alongside her.

Across town, Elijah found himself saddled with three nervous Salvatores an no help from his sister. Rebekah had left to have breakfast with Jenna and the Forbes women before going to the mansion to get ready, so her oldest non-neutralized brother was left on his own to stay with Damon, Stefan, and Alessia as they anxiously waited for Mia to arrive. The youngest Salvatore sibling was due to arrive at any moment, and the brothers were equally nervous about seeing their baby sister after the tongue-lashing she had given the pair over the phone the night before while on a layover in London, and Alessia had been that much more eager to meet her five-times great-grandmother after hearing it. As Alessia’s current boyfriend, Elijah was somewhere between their nervousness and excitement. Whatever either the witch or the Original had been expecting, it was not the petite, twenty-something brunette that walked through the library door a few minutes after Alessia finished her breakfast. This woman, barely beyond the point of being a girl, crossed the room at a rapid pace and slapped both of the brothers before pulling them in for a group hug.

“Hi, Mia.” Damon said as he leaned into the hug at the same time Stefan said, “Hey, baby sis.”

“I hope you both know that you’re both idiots. That was nothing compared to what Mama would’ve done if she were here today.” Mia told them as they parted, but she was smiling all the same.

“Trust me, we know. How’s Zach?” Damon replied, and his sister shrugged.

“He’s thinking about leaving town now that you’re moving back for at least another decade. Is there anything either of you can do to keep him from turning his back on us?” she answered, and Stefan scratched the back of his neck nervously before speaking.

“I might have one thing, but if she even wants to talk to him is questionable.” he said, and both of his siblings gave him their full attention. “Zach’s a father, but he doesn’t know it yet. His fiancée, Gail, was pregnant when the newborn vampire attacked, and their daughter was born just before her mother died; I got Gail to the local doctor, the baby was delivered, I compelled the doctor to forget we’d ever been there and leave town as soon as an option presented itself, I took care of Gail’s body, I made sure that the baby was adopted by a good family before leaving Mystic Falls, and I compelled Zach to forget both of them. He remembers now because of Damon snapping my neck during our fight last year; I was temporarily neutralized, so my compulsion on him broke since it’s never been that strong to begin with, and Zach confronted me about it when I woke up a few hours later. I know where Sarah is, and if she’s willing to give him a chance, Zach can always move closer to her in order to try having that father-daughter relationship.”

“Elena and I leave for Italy in a month, so tell him then. I’d usually say to tell him now, but I wouldn’t wanna take the risk of him trying to kill me, Elena killing him, and Klaus having to clean it all up like he’s been saying he’d have to in the event that I can’t keep her from attacking our dear nephew.” Damon told him.

“You say this as though your bride has attempted to harm Zach before, brother.” Mia said, and the eldest Salvatore chuckled.

“She threatened to break his arm in three places back in January after he came at me with a stake, and it’s because Zach is just dumb enough to try going through with it again that I worry. She didn’t even threaten her stepdad with that much bodily harm when he tried the same thing a month earlier.” he explained, glancing over at Elijah as he continued. “Elena is a Petrova and a Mikaelson, and her temper is firmly rooted in both lines.”

“I noticed that the night I tried to suggest severing your bond. For all the time I’d known her by then, as her teacher, I never thought I’d ever see Elena behave so coldly; I was legitimately scared when she started tearing into me for what I thought I knew about you, Uncle.” Alessia added, turning from Damon to her boyfriend as she continued. “A lot of it made sense after we went to that New Year’s Eve party; I got to witness an overprotective Mikaelson firsthand, and you made sure not to disappoint me and my expectations, Elijah.”

“That was nothing, love. You haven’t seen my favorite method of disposing of those who would oppose me; I have found that my sister and brothers consider someone having their heart literally ripped from their chest as my signature.” the Original said, and if he hadn’t known him as well as he did, the slightly flirtatious tone would’ve bothered Damon.

“I _have_ seen it, and it’s a thing of beauty. He rips out hearts without a single hair on his head falling out of place, and it’s very clean unless he’s either in a rush or not wearing his most expensive Armani suit.” Damon told the others, and Elijah chuckled.

“This, coming from the man I once saw drive a tree branch through another vampire’s heart because the person was after Elena and Jeremy yet complained because the staking resulted in a few specs of blood landing on his favorite John Varvatos shirt?” the Original teased, and Damon rolled his eyes.

“When was this?” Alessia asked, Mia and Stefan just as curious as she was.

“Elena was eight, almost nine, and Jeremy was six going on seven. It was the last time the Gilberts went to the lake house before making the decision to vacation almost exclusively at the beach house. We think that the vamp followed the Lockwoods in from Mystic Falls, catching the scent of untriggered wolf, and only changed course when he caught my scent on Elena and realized that she was clearly in close quarters with a vampire who wasn’t present at the time. Grayson realized that the vamp was there and called me; I was here, visiting Mother’s grave, and I don’t think I’ve ever driven that fast before in my life, not even for kicks. The idiot was a nightwalker, so he waited around in the shadows until the Gilberts were out on their dock, coming in from a late afternoon sail on the lake, and attacked while they were getting off the boat. Jeremy broke his arm, and Grayson jumped in after him since he couldn’t swim with his injury. Klaus and Elijah showed up just as the vamp called in reinforcements, and I did what I had to do to keep Elena safe. Until she was twelve and he was ten, neither Elena nor Jeremy knew what’d really happened because we didn’t want that being their first experience with vampires. When I returned the memory to them, Jeremy said he was glad to know that he wasn’t just the world’s biggest klutz. Elena didn’t leave my side for a week, not until after our birthdays, even going as far as to only sleep in my bed for that whole time, too. She was scared that she could’ve lost me, and she needed to be sure of where I was at all times just so that she’d be sure that she’d never get that close to losing me ever again. I should’ve known then that our relationship wasn’t normal, but it took her standing up for me to Lessie for me to really understand what those intense feelings both of us always had actually meant.” Damon explained, and his niece shivered as she recalled the look in Elena’s eyes that night.

“I never did apologize to you for that, Uncle, did I?” she asked, and Damon shrugged.

“I never blamed you, so there wasn’t much to apologize for, was there?” he replied, but she shook her head.

“No, there was, and I’m sorry. I never should’ve taken Zach’s word for truth, and I should’ve spoken with Elena more than I did about you. I definitely shouldn’t have accused you of using her the way I’d been told you used to use women.” she told him, and he knew she was sincere.

“I accept your apology, Alessia.” he replied after a moment had passed. “Now, who’s ready for the Salvatore Edition of Meet the Several-Times-Great-Grandparents?”

It was around lunchtime when Klaus received a text from Father O’Connell of the Faction asking for his presence at their meeting. He was only half-surprised when he reached his Lincoln to find Elena in the passenger seat. She was dressed in a peach and white colored floral wrap dress with peach heels, and her hair was being held back from her face by a thin, white headband. She looked professional and ready to take on the world, and Klaus knew that there was no talking her out of accompanying him.

“When should I have you home by, lit lys?” he asked, getting in the car and starting the engine.

“Care says that two o’clock is my absolute cutoff time.” she answered, and he nodded without looking at her as he pulled out of the garage and started down the long, winding driveway. “Where are we meeting them?”

“Since these meetings require an entirely neutral location, I’ve asked them to meet me at the Mystic Grill; to say I was expecting you to tag along would be a lie, though the fact that you did doesn’t surprise me. You’ve always been a people person, like your uncle.” Klaus told her, and she chuckled.

“Well, one of us has to be, and it’s certainly not gonna be you. Besides, we hybrids have to stick together, right?” Elena replied, and he looked over to give her a small smile as they reached the main road into town.

They didn’t speak to one another for the remainder of the drive, and Klaus was sure to walk in front of Elena as they entered the Mystic Grill and made their way over to where the other members of the Faction sat waiting. Elena observed them, her eyes carefully committing each one to her memory, and she smirked inwardly at the expression of each member as Klaus pulled out a chair for her before taking a seat for himself. They were obviously not use to seeing the Original Hybrid show that much respect to anyone.

“Who is this that you’ve brought with you, Niklaus?” asked the lone female Faction member, her dark hair and eyes much harsher than Elena had been expecting.

“This is our Littlest Mikaelson, my many times great-granddaughter, Elena.” the Original introduced her. “Kieran knows her family name beyond Mikaelson, but that information is privileged otherwise. It would be…unwise at the least if too many people knew who she is and where to find her.”

“Won’t we hear it at the wedding?” the woman asked, but both Elena and Klaus shook their heads.

“They’ve decided to not use traditional vows, and the likelihood of more than their first names being used during their vows is slim.” the male hybrid said.

“Why is she here, Nik?” one of the men, a blonde who Elena was able to identify as a werewolf, asked.

“Uncle Elijah is busy, and someone had to be here to back Grand-Klaus up when he presents you with his new idea.” Elena said, speaking for herself for the first time since she’d last spoken in the car with Klaus.

“New idea? This oughta be good.” the vampire representative, Diego, said, and Klaus narrowed his eyes at the man.

“I don’t even know why you’re here, Diego, honestly. My son is in town, and he should be sitting here, dealing with his niece and myself rather than sending you while he spies on me from a distance.” he said, shaking his head once before continuing. “Now, onto today’s business, a change is coming to the way the world of the supernatural is ran. After years of debate, research, and planning, my family and I have come to the conclusion that our world must be united under a single banner lest we actually want the infighting to remain as prevalent as it has become in recent history. Needless violence on the streets of New Orleans, illegal documents manufacturing in New York, and the all-around disregard for one’s fellows worldwide has to stop.”

“And how do you suppose we accomplish this, Niklaus?” the female, a witch Elena realized, challenged.

“It isn’t obvious, Louisa? I am proposing that we establish a limited constitutional monarchy and a supernatural commonwealth.” Klaus said, and jaws dropped.

“And who would be the monarch? You?” Diego asked with clear disdain.

“I am the only person who carries the blood of all the main supernatural races in my body at one time, so, yes, I would be king.” Klaus argued, and Elena couldn’t stop the smirk identical to his that formed on her own face.

“Your only qualification for being the king of the supernatural world is that you’re the only hybrid in existence?” the werewolf asked, though he smirked along with the two Mikaelsons.

“No, I am far from the only hybrid in existence. Some decades ago, a coven of siphoner witch/vampire hybrids were imprisoned in a parallel dimension for their crimes, though the specifics of that are known only to a select few, namely Elijah; two of my own descendants have been turned into vampires yet still retain some of their natural witch abilities, and my younger brother and sister are both able to use some of their witch abilities. Elena herself is a hybrid, part witch and part vampire while still being part human. I just happen to be the most powerful hybrid to exist. Under the Mikaelson standard, our community can only flourish.” Klaus explained his reasons in further detail, but Diego wasn’t quite convinced. “Our base would be here, in Mystic Falls, and I would continue allowing Marcellus to rule New Orleans in my stead so long as he adhered to my rules and relented to the occasional, shall we say, state visit.”

“What makes you so certain that you can enforce your laws upon the oldest and most powerful non-Originals that still live? What makes you think that Mystic Falls is a safe home base when it’s the home of the infamous Salvatore brothers, one of whom is the former Ripper of Monterey?” he asked, and Klaus and Elena let out full, deep laughs at this. “Stefan Salvatore’s issues aside, his brother, Damon, has a reputation that has far preceded him since the late 1950s when he flipped his humanity switch; very few vampires have ever been as ruthless a bastard as Damon Salvatore.”

“We apologize for our momentary lapse in decorum, I assure you. It’s just that the situation is too humorous to not laugh at, I’m afraid.” Klaus said as they calmed themselves down and regained their composure. “Shall I tell our fellows the identity of your groom, lite lys?”

“Go ahead, Grand-Klaus, as they’ll find out tonight anyway.” Elena told him, her devilish smirk making the others look between the two as if suddenly realizing that this young woman was indeed a biological relation to the most powerful creature on the planet.

“My soon-to-be great-grandson-in-law is none other than Damon Salvatore himself, and I have a very good relationship with both him and his brother; in the 1920s, my sister, our older brother, and I spent a significant amount of time with the brothers in Chicago, and I consider them both dear friends. I have yet to formally meet their sister, Amalia, but she is quite on board with my ideas.” Klaus said, and Elena’s smirk grew as she watched Diego swallow hard at the news. “The witches of New Orleans have previously allied themselves with my little brother, and now Kol has sided with me. If you’re wondering about the werewolves, I have no doubts about them recognizing the value of my proposal.”

“I, for one, see no reason to not go along with this idea. As a constitutional monarchy, even a limited one, there will always be a group designated to keep the Crown from abusing its power; it would be a group similar to this, with everyone having representation, but there would be instances where the monarch would have the power to balance them in return if they got too overzealous in their actions. Naturally, this would mean that there would be a counsel loyal to the monarch as well as the supernatural parliament, and the monarch’s counsel so long as my grandfather would be on the throne would be made up of his fellow Originals and those he deems worthy; if that worries you, remember that no one betrays a Mikaelson more than another Mikaelson and lives. It’s practically how we show affection in this family. Given how most people don’t even realize that the Originals are more than just legends, and hybrids like myself are relegated to continually living on the outside because we don't belong to just one group, it’s time for the Mikaelsons to step out of the shadows and take responsibility for what we started.” Elena added.

“I have to side with Klaus on this one.” the werewolf said, and the others rolled their eyes.

“You always side with him.” Louisa said, and the werewolf shrugged.

“He’s my uncle, however distantly, and true Alpha, so I kinda have to agree with him.” he said, getting a chuckle out of the Original.

“You know I’d never force your hand, Cary, but thank you for your support.” Klaus told him, and Elena nodded in agreement.

“We shouldn’t put this to a vote now, though.” she said, breaking into the conversation again. “As long as Marcel wants to pretend that he’s not here, the vote can’t truly be accurate. If you take the time to discuss the possibilities with my aunt and uncles tonight at the reception, think on what they have to say, we should be able to hold a vote in a few days’ time.”

“She’s quite the diplomat, Niklaus, perhaps better than yourself.” Diego said, his expression making it appear as though it physically pained him to compliment the hybrids.

“She’s also correct. We should take the time to think this proposal over before agreeing to anything.” Louisa interjected. “I agree to Miss Mikaelson’s terms to delay a vote until we’ve had time to gather and assess all the necessary information on the proposal.”

“I agree, too.” Cary added.

“I think it makes the most amount of sense, so I also agree.” Kieran said, the priest voicing his opinion finally.

“I will confer with Marcel, but we will also think over the terms of the proposal.” Diego said with a long sigh, and Elena looked at him with a curious smile.

“To make things easier on him, tell my uncle that he’s on the guest list for the wedding already. Mikaelsons only exclude family members if we have good reason.” she said simply before rising alongside Klaus. “It was wonderful to meet all of you, but I must be getting back before my maid of honor starts on a rampage through town looking for me.”

After bidding the Faction members farewell, Klaus and Elena returned to the Lincoln in a content silence. Both felt hopeful for the proposal getting a unanimous positive vote. Their arguments had been solid, and only Diego seemed reluctant to agree. They’d expected this as, even if he was the Faction’s vampire representative, Kieran had told them that Diego never acted without Marcel’s approval. Given that he’d still be able to rule over New Orleans, they were confident that Marcel would agree with them in the end. Klaus would be king before Christmas.

“Hurry along and get ready, your highness. Go let Caroline turn you into a princess bride.” Klaus told her once they were back in the mansion’s garage, and she giggled and nodded before hurrying off to her room where she knew her best friend would be waiting.

“You barely made it back before two!” the blonde exclaimed as Elena stepped through the door.

“It’s not my fault that the Grill is all the way on the other side of Mystic Falls from this house.” the brunette countered as she was pushed into her bathroom by the blonde who promptly slammed the door behind them.

“I’m sorry! It’s just that I’m in the middle of a crisis, even though it’s your day, and I need to talk. I don’t know how to break up with Matt, but I can’t do this anymore. Wednesday, he totally freaked out when he realized that I’m friends with Stefan, and I don’t think I can be the girl he wants me to be, Lena.” Caroline said, sitting down on the vanity bench with her best friend.

“Oh, Care, I’m so sorry.” Elena responded, hugging her. “I don’t know much about relationships; I’ve only ever been in one, and Damon is literally my soulmate, but I know that you have to do what’s best for you and not anyone else. He was freaked out by Stefan?”

“No, well, not just by Stefan.” Caroline explained, sighing. “He didn’t seem to like that Stefan and I are friends. When he asked whose wedding I was in, and I told him who Damon is, he didn’t like that I’m friends with Damon’s brother. That was several hours before he actually met Stefan, and I don’t know why he would feel threatened beyond the natural instinct to flee from a vampire that you, Jer, and I seem to lack.”

“I might have an idea as to why, but I’m not gonna tell you anything more until I can talk to Lessie, Uncle Kol, and Aunt Bex about it because they’d know better than I would.” Elena told her with a smile. “Regardless as to whether I’m right, you should still end things with Matt because Cornell is a long way from Mystic Falls and well beyond what he’s expecting of life.”

“I know, and I might have to do it at the party tomorrow night. I don’t know if I’ll ever get up the nerve again otherwise.” Caroline admitted, but the conversation ended there as the bathroom door opened to reveal Jenna, Miranda, and Rebekah.

“There’s a party tomorrow night?” the Original vampiress asked as she set a small box on the counter.

“Every year, the teenage population of Mystic Falls descends on the Falls for a bonfire to celebrate the end of the school year. It goes back to the first year that Mystic Falls High School was open, and even Liz turns a blind eye to it because it’s a tradition.” Miranda said, smiling knowingly at her goddaughter.

“I know you made up with Bonnie, but if you need any additional support for breaking things off with your boyfriend, Caroline, I’ll go to this party. I’m technically young enough, right?” the blonde vampire offered, and the blonde human smiled.

“I’ll think about it, Rebekah, and thanks.” Caroline replied. “Makeup first, then hair?”

At about four o’clock, the Salvatores and Elijah arrived at the mansion. Grayson invited Mia and Stefan inside, and the latter went with his brother to the guest room that Klaus had set aside for them to use to get ready while the former went with Alessia to meet Elijah’s brothers. Elijah himself vamped up to his own room to change clothes, and he didn’t bother pretending to be surprised when his door opened while he was in the process of pulling on his dress pants.

“Really, Niklaus, when will you ever grow up and learn how to knock?” he asked, and his younger brother merely laughed.

“Sorry, ‘Lijah, but I knew you were alone, and I’ve seen you starkers before as it is, so nothing warranted me knocking.” Klaus half-joked before taking a more serious tone. “I already met Mia and warned Kol and Rebekah, so now it’s time I warn you. I met with the Faction a few hours ago, Elena went with me, and they each agreed to talk with the three of you at the reception to determine where you stand on my proposal in order to form their opinions.”

“Did you not tell them that we all agreed with you and were entirely behind the idea of you being king while we act as your advisory council?” Elijah asked, and Klaus nodded.

“Elena and I both said this, but Marcel didn’t show at the meeting, and Diego refused to vote without conferring with him first.” Klaus admitted.

“I shall be most forthcoming with my views when approached this evening.” Elijah said, and his brother smirked.

“You’ve always been the better diplomat, brother. Thank you.” Klaus said. “When you’re ready, we’re responsible for ensuring that everyone is in their seats by the time the ceremony is to start. See you downstairs?”

“I shall only need a few minutes more to finish dressing, and then I will be downstairs, yes.” Elijah agreed, and Klaus vamped from the room with the only noise being the door clicking shut behind him as he went.

When Klaus left Elijah to finish getting dressed, he made his way to Elena’s room where the bride herself was dressed and almost ready to walk down the aisle. She wore her lapis locket and earrings along with her engagement ring, but Klaus smiled knowingly as he spied the box in Rebekah’s hands as she made her way over to Elena and offered it to the young bride. Elena opened the box and took from it a lapis bracelet that matched the earrings and locket.

“You have your something old and blue with the locket and earrings, little one, and your tiara is something new. You need something borrowed, and this should be just the thing.” Rebekah told her, and Klaus agreed.

“It belongs to your Aunt Freya.” he said, gaining the attention of all the women in the room. “The whole set was originally bought for her, as you know, and we each kept a piece when she placed herself in the crystal casket after mine and Kol’s fight. Kol still has the ring put away somewhere safe, and we collectively relieved Finn of her kransen and ensured that it was safely stored someplace where it would remain undamaged.”

“What’s a kransen?” Caroline asked.

“I was the first child in our family born in what would become Mystic Falls, and Niklaus was the second. Freya and Finn were both born in Norway before our parents made the journey in search of the mysterious creatures who appeared invulnerable to sickness and harm, werewolves, and all of us learned Norwegian as our first language. Mikael, our father, was a Viking warrior, and Freya was raised in a traditional Viking manner until our Aunt Dahlia stole her away and inadvertently caused our parents to seek out a new home; though he was but an infant when our parents left Norway, Finn was raised to be a warrior like Father before him and taught the same traditions and symbolism he would’ve been if they hadn’t left. A kransen is a circlet worn by young maidens in Scandinavian cultures such as that of Vikings, and Dahlia left Freya’s behind with our mother so that she could believably tell Mikael a lie about Freya having died from the plague while he’d been off in battle. It’s the only piece of the collection that doesn’t contain Lapis Lazuli, but it is perhaps the most sentimental. Had our aunt not taken her away, Freya would have worn it until her wedding, at which her female attendants would have removed and replaced it with her bridal crown as a symbolic gesture of her leaving behind her maidenhood.” Elijah explained as he joined them, having gone looking for Klaus when he hadn’t found his brother waiting downstairs as he’d anticipated.

“Well, now that Elijah has thoroughly taken up all our time with that explanation, we should get downstairs and start welcoming our guests. I only came in to say that you look absolutely radiant, lite lys, and that I love you.” Klaus said, getting a half-hearted eye-roll from his brother.

“Not that I’ll ever admit this more than once in front of witnesses, but Niklaus is correct.” Elijah agreed, the first half jokingly. “You look simply stunning, my darling niece, and I dare say that your groom will be speechless at the sight of you.”

“I’ll get these two out of here and make sure they actually do what they’re told.” Alessia said, chuckling as both brothers tried to appear innocent and failed as she led them from the room.

“As much as those two may still be little more than children maturity-wise when they’re together and getting along, they’re both right. You look beautiful, Elena, and I am beyond proud of the woman you’ve become.” Miranda said, gently hugging her daughter.

Elena opened her mouth to respond, but no words would come, so she just hugged her mother back tightly and deeply inhaled the smell of Miranda’s perfume. Knowing that she could lose her mother at any point after that day was a devastating thought, but it was one she locked away as she and Miranda embraced. When they parted, Elena told her the only thing she could manage to say.

“I love you, Mom.” she said softly.

“I love you, too, Elena.” Miranda replied, and a knock on the door signaled Grayson’s arrival.

At five o’clock sharp, the front lawn of the Mikaelson mansion was filled with the sound of Pachelbel’s “Canon in D” as the wedding processional began. Guests were seated on the left and right portions of the lawn, and the family and close friends invited were seated near the arbor in the lawn’s circular center. Damon walked first, Jeremy and Stefan following behind him, and he caught the way his brother’s expression shifted when Caroline began walking towards them. He looked over to where Kol was seated and mouthed a short question to his bride’s uncle, and the youngest of the Mikaelson brothers gave a short nod in reply. Damon found that it wasn’t an upsetting answer, so he kept his thoughts to himself as Rebekah began walking behind Caroline.

As the Original sister reached her place behind Caroline, everyone stood and turned towards the mansion’s front doors. Wagner’s “Bridal Chorus” picked up where “Canon in D” had ended, and the doors swung open to allow Elena to step out of the mansion on her father’s arm. Damon smiled adoringly as he saw her. Elena’s dress was simple, and her jewelry was what she wore almost every day. Her dark hair was done up in an intricate braided bun, and the tiara she’d been gifted by Klaus sparkled in the twilight. Any human groom would’ve had a difficult time seeing his bride’s face past the blusher veil that covered it, but Damon wasn’t a human groom. He could see Elena’s face, even at the distance she was from him when she’d first stepped outside, and he found her to be just as beautiful as he did every single day. She was wearing makeup, of course, but it wasn’t overdone. Much like the Christmas charity gala, she had gone for an elegant, yet understated look that only highlighted her natural beauty. The thing that Damon focused on the most was the way her warm, dark eyes seemed to sparkle as she grew nearer. There were happy tears shining in her eyes, no doubt about it, there was a sparkle in them as well.

Grayson and Elena made their way up to the arbor just as the music faded out, and Damon mouthed “You look beautiful,” to Elena as he removed the blusher veil over her face. Father O’Connell started the ceremony by asking if there were any reasonable objections to Damon and Elena’s union. When none were said, he gave a short opening sermon before announcing that the two had decided to write their own vows. Damon went first.

“When I was a little boy, my mother told me that I would meet a woman one day who I would love and treasure above all else. She also told me that this woman would love me just as much as I loved her, and I dreamed of the day that I would meet this woman more and more as I grew older. I thought I found her once before, but it turned out that I had actually found the woman who would set me on the path I would need to take to meet my soulmate. When we did finally meet, I felt whole for the first time in a very long time. Before we met, Elena, I didn’t care how badly people thought of me, and I didn’t care who I hurt to get what I wanted. You changed me by giving me a reason to care. I couldn’t let myself continue to not think about the consequences of my actions if I was going to be with you because I could never let myself do anything to hurt you. I love you, and when I say that, what I’m actually saying is that I love the way that you accept me for me and know exactly what to say or do to make me open up, but I also love you so much that it breaks my heart every time you shed a single tear in sadness and that the only thing that keeps me from falling apart with you is that I know exactly what to do to make you smile again. You are my life, Elena, and there is no one I would rather spend forever with than you. Ti amerò per sempre, mia principessa oscura.” Damon said, resisting the urge to smirk as he heard Stefan sniffle behind him.

“Damon, the night we kissed for the first time, I asked you to tell me what you thought I wanted as the person who knows me best. You did good, naming a lot of things that are very important to me, but you missed the most important thing on the list: you. For as long as I can remember, I always knew that you were the man I would marry. You’re my everything, from a protector to a best friend, and from a dreamcatcher to a dance instructor, and thinking of not having you in my life forever is the single most terrifying thing I’ve ever let myself think. To lose you would be to lose my other half, and I don’t think I would ever be able to recover from that. I love you, and by that I mean that it makes me furious when others can’t see you for who you are, that they can’t see you the way that I do because you are the most loving, protective, romantic, thoughtful, wonderful person I have ever known. But when I say, ‘I love you,’ I’m also saying that I love all the little things too. I love the way you know to take the pickle spear from my plate no matter how many times we both tell the waitress at our favorite deli that I don’t want one with my sandwich; I love the way you play all of my favorite songs when I’m sad and don’t stop until I’m smiling again; and I love the way you always know to order me the same flavor of ice cream while offering me bites of yours because no matter how many times I say I’ll try something new, we both know I won’t. You know me better than I know myself most days, and I couldn’t wish for anyone better to spend forever with than you. Jeg vil elske deg for alltid, min helt mørke prins.” Elena said her vows to Damon, and this time the sniffles came from all of the Mikaelson siblings.

After their vows had been said, Damon and Elena turned to face both Father O’Connell and Sheila Bennett for the next part of the ceremony. The priest took a step back, allowing the witch to take control of the ceremony, and Sheila placed three white candles on the small table at the altar. These candles had been crafted by a witch in Tennessee that Sheila knew, and the two smaller ones were imbued with a bit of blood from Damon in one and Elena in the other. The larger candle had no blood, but it was carved with various runes painted a matte gold. The two smaller candles were also carved with runes, but one was painted a matte purple while the other was a matte red. With a wave of her hand, Sheila lit the two smaller candles and began chanting the solidification spell in Latin while Damon and Elena each took the candle marked for them. At the same time, cued by Sheila, the two used their candles to light the bigger candle; the flame wasn’t orange, as you would expect a flame to look, but a bright gold just like the runes that were now glowing in the darkening twilight. Along with the runes, a golden glow also appeared in both Damon and Elena’s eyes, and it gradually died down with the other golden glows as Sheila finished the spell by sprinkling a mixture of crushed ivy, thyme, angelica, dogwood, and iris over the large candle. She smiled at them as she backed away, and Father O’Connell took her place to finish the ceremony.

“And now, for the exchanging of the rings.” he said, motioning to Jeremy and Caroline to hand the rings over to the bride and groom, and he watched as they each slid a wedding band onto the other’s finger. “Damon, do you take Elena to be your lawfully wedded wife?”

“I do.” the vampire said with a gentle, loving smile aimed at his bride.

“And, Elena, do you take Damon as your lawfully wedded husband?” Father O’Connell asked, and a similar smile graced Elena’s face.

“I do.” the doppelgänger said, and the priest continued on with a smile.

“Then, by the power vested in me by the state of Virginia, I now pronounce you husband and wife. Damon, you may now kiss your bride.” Father O’Connell said, and neither bride nor groom wasted time before bringing their lips together for a long, loving kiss.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Just like that, the ceremony is over and the party can begin. Until next time, sweets...XOXO


	13. Questo Sarà

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "You brought a lot of a sunshine into my life/You filled me with happiness I never knew/You gave me more joy than I ever dreamed of/And no one, no one can take the place of you..."  
>  -"This Will Be (An Everlasting Love)," by Natalie Cole

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Hello, sweets. I solemnly swear that I sincerely regret some of the events which are about to occur in this chapter, to Matt, Grayson, and Miranda specifically. My apologies.

If it hadn’t been for Damon’s insistence that Elena take breaks to eat, drink, and socialize with their guests, the newlyweds would have likely spent their entire reception on the dancefloor. She wasn’t the only one in the mood to dance, however, as Damon had nearly choked on his bourbon when he saw Stefan willingly dancing with Caroline if only because he knew how little his younger brother actually cared for dancing in general. Jeremy, having been to a number of parties and clubs with Elijah, Klaus, Damon, Elena, and Caroline in the past couple of years, had asked Bonnie Bennett to dance at one point, and Damon couldn’t help but smile at how taken the young witch seemed with his baby brother. The only time he truly felt uneasy about any dancing the entire night was when Elena and Grayson were having their Father-Daughter dance and he wished his mother could’ve been there for a Mother-Son dance as well.

“I’m sure she’d be here if she could, Damon.” Miranda said as she sat down beside him. “I know that you’re older than I am by several decades and I’m only your mother-in-law, but I would be happy to share a dance with you.”

“In that case, _Mom_ , may I have this dance?” Damon asked, smiling almost cheekily at her, and Miranda chuckled as she nodded in acceptance and took his hand.

They twirled about on the dancefloor as the next song played, and it wasn’t until the song ended that Damon noticed the male vampire standing beside Klaus and blinked in surprise. Marcel had come out of hiding after all. Elena noticed this as well, and she shot a look towards Damon that her husband needed no help understanding. After escorting Miranda back to the table where she and Grayson were seated, along with the other Mikaelsons, Salvatores, and Liz, he took Elena’s arm in his as they walked together towards Klaus.

Marcel kept his gaze fixed on them as they neared, and Damon could tell that the vampire-king of New Orleans was both sizing them up as well as trying to determine what about them made Klaus chose to stay with them all these years instead of returning to New Orleans and to himself, his focus being on Elena in particular. With his ease of use with mind-magics, Damon silently slipped into Marcel’s mind and picked up on the feelings of abandonment and jealousy that raged within him. Klaus had saved him, raised him, and loved him when he had no one else willing to do any of the three. Then, the still young Marcel fell in love with his adoptive aunt, Rebekah, and only wanted her family’s approval; trying to include her father had resulted in Marcel losing the only father he had ever truly known, and now, almost a century later, he was being reunited with the man after discovering that his place in Klaus’ life had seemingly been usurped by a little girl with big, brown doe eyes. Having had a few discussions with Klaus about children after Kol and Rebekah blabbed his and Elena’s secret to their hybrid brother, Damon knew that this was the furthest thing from the truth. Despite his reputation, Klaus had an enormous capacity for love and didn’t consider Marcel as displaced in his heart by Elena whatsoever. Even Katherine, for all she had done in the past, held a place there as she was also of his descent and carried his blood, both human and vampire. Damon only hoped that Klaus would be able to explain all of this to Marcel.

“So, this is my little niece who has kept your attention for so long.” Marcel said as the newlyweds reached the father and son.

“Hello, Uncle.” Elena greeted kindly. “I’m glad Diego got my message to you.”

“Marcellus, behave yourself. Compared to you, even when I was forced from the city I founded, Elena is but a child who needs my attention and support. You are fully capable of handling yourself and don’t have members of every supernatural species after you because you happen to look like someone else.” Klaus chided his only son.

“Ah, yes, Katerina.” Marcel asked with a smirk. “Is Uncle Elijah still caught up on her?”

“No, he’s quite past his feelings for Katherine and has moved on with someone new, a witch he met in New York about seven months ago.” Klaus said with a grin of his own. “I believe he and Ms. Alessia Salvatore are speaking with your cousin Cary at the moment.”

“Salvatore?” Marcel’s eyebrows shot up at this.

“Lessie is my five-times great-niece via my little sister, Amalia, who is over at the family table talking with Elena’s father, Grayson.” Damon explained, and Marcel gave Klaus the same look Kol had given him in December.

“He’s dating the niece of the man who just got married to Elena, who happens to be our niece, your great-granddaughter?” he asked, and Klaus nodded.

“Uncle Kol asked the same thing when we woke him up five months ago, and Grand-Klaus pointed out that you dated Aunt Rebekah and that Uncle Kol himself brought Aunt Freya as his date to the disastrous Christmas party of 1914, so none of you can really judge.” Elena said, and Marcel looked down bashfully, realizing that her statement held merit.

“Plus, none of us have ever seen Elijah or Alessia this happy. Who are we to ruin their happiness?” Damon added, and Marcel gave a short nod.

“You are quite right, Damon, but I must now ask if I can steal Elena away for a bit? I can see Louisa trying to corner Kol, and we really should run interference before my little brother kills her. She’s fond of questions, and Kol, well, isn’t.” Klaus cut in, and Damon nodded before unlinking his arm from his wife’s and watching her walk away arm-in-arm and laughing about something the witch had probably said to Kol with her great-grandfather to stop family drama.

“She has no fear of him.” Marcel said as they walked off, and Damon agreed.

“He’s never given her reason to be afraid of him, and she’s never done anything to draw out his bad side. She has his trust, and he has hers; Elena once told me that she holds no fear of anyone she trusts no matter what they may be, and she’s always trusted Klaus.” he said, pausing before adding another statement. “She’s one of the few people he’s ever spoken to about you. Marcel, you need to understand that after he thought you died, it took decades before he was even capable of saying your name without crying. I’ve known your father since _before_ you supposedly died, having met him and Kol a few months before that nightmare of a Christmas party, and I’ve never seen him that broken. Rebekah had Alessia do a spell to see if you were alive not long after they met, and she told Klaus the truth about 1919 when she found out that you were alright. Even when he was told that it was you and Rebekah who summoned Mikael to New Orleans in the first place, he was just glad to know that you were alive. He understood, after the way Elena hesitated with telling him about her feelings for me, why you thought that having Mikael kill him was the only way that you and Bex could ever be together. If he hadn’t had this time with Elena, and even Jeremy, to have someone need him in a parental sort of way after he thought he lost you in the fire, I have no doubt that Klaus wouldn’t be as forgiving and would probably want you dead for what you did. You should be grateful that he’s got her in his life, Marcel, not jealous. She’s what’s saved you, just like she saved him.”

“Hearing you say that, I am grateful.” Marcel admitted. “I just wish I would’ve know that I ever had a sister, even if I never got to know her. Finding out that I'm not the first born after all was...disheartening, but I'm getting over it.”

“Ylva is the one person Klaus talks about less than you. When he thought you were dead, he could at least mourn you. With Ylva, he had no clue where she was, how she was, or how long she lived. He didn’t even know if Elijah had been successful in keeping her hidden until Katherine showed up in London.” Damon said. “It’s hard to mourn without closure, and he felt he had closure with you because he thought he watched you die. He never had closure with Ylva.”

“You sound like you have personal experience with the matter.” Marcel noted.

“My mother died in an asylum from consumption when I was nineteen, but she’d lived there nearly seven years before that. I never had the chance to truly say a good-bye to her, and I couldn’t bring myself to speak at the funeral because I couldn’t process my grief the way I needed to thanks to my father. Mama, what I called my stepmother, helped me deal a few years later after I’d been turned and my emotions were heightened. She was a witch, but she was a mom first; she knew that all I needed was a good cry and someone to vent to for me to feel like I’d grieved properly.” Damon told him, smiling sadly at the thought of Gioia. “Whenever I journal, I pretend that I’m writing to her because I could always tell her anything when she was alive. It sounds strange, but it helps.”

“I don’t find it strange at all, but back speaking of Klaus; do you agree with his proposal?” Marcel asked, and Damon was quick to say that he was.

“If I didn’t know him as well as I do and didn’t know that he’s definitely not the heartless son of a bitch he was twenty years ago, I’d never agree. But, having seen the way he’s been since Elena started getting him to open up and to actually hope for a future, there’s no one more fit for the job.” the slightly younger vampire said. “He wants what’s best for everyone now, not just himself.”

With Stefan having gone into the woods to hunt and Mia having accepted Klaus’ offer to stay at the mansion to get to know the Mikaelsons and Alessia better, Damon and Elena were the sole occupants of the Salvatore Boarding House on their wedding night. After a very late night, the two woke around mid-morning on Saturday with giddiness from the previous night still palpable between them. Nothing and everything had changed, and the feeling of pure happiness was at its peak as they shared a good-morning kiss.

“Good morning, Mr. Salvatore.” Elena said as her morning greeting, a contented smile on her face.

“Good morning, Mrs. Salvatore.” Damon said, knowing exactly what his wife wanted to hear.

“I don’t think I’ll ever get tired of hearing that.” Elena replied. “Part of me still can’t believe that we’re officially married, and our souls are solidly bonded together for all eternity.”

“You better believe it, princess, because it’s you and me forever.” the vampire told her, and both of them smiled widely.

“ _That_ sounds like an excellent plan, baby.” the doppelgänger said, leaning in for another kiss when her phone began buzzing on the bedside table. “If that’s anyone in my family, I’m going to turn my phone off for the rest of the day!”

Damon chuckled as he watched Elena grab her phone and sigh. It wasn’t technically a Mikaelson-Gilbert family member, seeing as how it was Caroline, and the blonde wasn’t trying to interrupt them. She was confirming that she was planning on breaking up with Matt at the bonfire that night, and neither of them was going to discourage her from doing it. She needed to end things with him sooner rather than later, and, after what Kol had confirmed for him during the ceremony, Damon knew exactly who needed to be the one to be there for her once she’d gone through with the breakup.

With Caroline’s dilemma solved, Elena set her phone back on the bedside table and returned her attention to Damon; it didn’t take long for the newlyweds to pick up where they’d left off moments earlier. As their kiss deepened, only the shout of “I’ll be at Caroline’s if anyone cares,” from Stefan alerted them to anyone else having been in the house. They both chuckled, but this did nothing to slow their actions.

Leaving his brother and sister-in-law in their newlywedded bliss, Stefan shuddered to himself as he ran to the Forbes house. Caroline was waiting for him at the front door when he arrived, and the humored smile she wore was enough to erase all of the wince-worthy thoughts his morning had brought. He had sent her a text almost as soon as he heard the noises at the other end of the house starting up, and her text to Elena had been a distraction for him to get out of the house undetected. Unfortunately, he hadn’t been fast enough and had to shout a few parting words as he rushed out the front doors in order to get himself to the one person in town who was capable of making him feel better.

“Did it work?” she asked, and he shook his head.

“Almost as soon as she texted you back, they were all over each other again. I told them I was coming to see you as I was leaving so they’d at least know that 1) it was me leaving and not an intruder, and 2) they were dangerously close to traumatizing me.” he answered, and she laughed.

“I’m sorry you were almost traumatized by your brother and his wife going at it while you were in the house.” Caroline told him as they went inside, and he chuckled.

“I still can’t believe that my brother got married yesterday. After a hundred-and-forty-five years, he’s the most like the Damon I grew up with than he’s been since we met Katherine and became her pawns.” Stefan said, smiling and shaking his head at the thought.

“From what I’ve heard Bex and Kol talking about, having your soulmate in your life changes you because you’re finally balanced. Bex has a theory that all vampires are predisposed to having soulmate bonds because they were created from doppelgänger blood, but she hasn’t had a non- doppelgänger/vampire match to test her theory with yet, so it’s just a theory.” Caroline said, and it didn’t escape his notice that she used the Original Vampiress’ familial nickname. “If she’s right, though, vampires would have it so easy compared to normal humans when it comes to relationships.”

“You’re breaking up with Matt today, aren’t you?” he asked, and she nodded.

“The bonfire’s tonight, so I’m hoping I can count on Tyler to console him. I wouldn’t ordinarily break up with him at a party, but he’s working all day today so he can be off work tonight.” she said, and he gave a nod of understanding.

“I can tag along tonight if you want, Care.” he offered. “You can say that I’m moving back to town soon and wanted to meet my new classmates when people ask why I’m there.”

“Honestly, that’s a really good idea. Thank you so much, Stef!” she said as she hugged him suddenly, and he smiled as he hugged her back.

“What are friends for if not morale support?” he joked, sending both of them into a bout of laughter as they collapsed beside one another on her living room sofa.

Later that afternoon, everyone met up at the mansion for Damon and Elena to say their goodbyes. Though their actual honeymoon wouldn’t be until just after their birthdays, the two would be spending the remainder of the weekend at the Gilberts’ beach house after stopping by Lillian Salvatore’s grave on their way out of town. If Grayson or Miranda held onto their daughter slightly longer than normal when they hugged her, no one said a word. The couple had been gone for a little more than an hour when Grayson and Miranda left with Jenna to take the younger Sommers sister back to her apartment near Whitmore to pack up what was left of her belongings so that she could make the move back to Mystic Falls during the summer. Jeremy stayed behind, having been invited to the bonfire by Bonnie during the reception the night before, and he left the mansion with Stefan and Caroline about an hour after his parents and aunt’s departure.

Jeremy wasn’t nearly as stupid or oblivious as most average fourteen-year-old boys, and that wasn’t even him boasting. Growing up with Klaus and Elijah more or less adopting him as one of their own had ensured that he had a more-than-decent amount of common sense. Even to him, with no supernatural powers of perception, it was obvious that Stefan had more than Just Friends feelings for Caroline, and he was confident enough to put money on how soon after she broke up with Matt that Caroline would find herself returning Stefan’s feelings in a friendly wager with Kol. He hadn’t expected to become such good friends with the youngest Mikaelson brother, but Kol wasn’t physically much older than Jeremy and sought the human out for help in blending in as a modern teenager more than once, so they’d become close as a byproduct of that. He’d noticed Caroline and Rebekah forming a similar friendship, so he wasn’t too surprised when the two youngest Original siblings also showed up at the bonfire. Matt Donovan, however, was very surprised at the four additional people Caroline and Bonnie brought with them to the party.

“Matt Donovan, meet Kol Mikaelson, his little sister Rebekah, and Jeremy Gilbert; you met Stefan on Wednesday after school, remember?” Caroline introduced everyone. “They’re all moving back to Mystic Falls sometime this summer, and they wanted to get to know some of their new classmates before the next year.”

“Well, there’s that, and then there’s the fact that I’d never pass up the chance to spend time with my favorite sister.” Jeremy teased, and Caroline rolled her eyes while smiling.

“You’re only saying that because Elena’s not here.” she told him, and he admitted as much by his expression as the vampires and witch laughed along with them.

“Elena’s your sister, right?” Jeremy nodded at Matt’s question. “Care said that she just got married?”

“Yeah,” Stefan said, chuckling. “to my brother, Damon.”

“Hey, Kol, you might have to compel him to either forget that Elena and Damon are married or make him unable to tell anyone. They don’t want the people of Mystic Falls knowing about them being married until they’re sure that no one’s gonna judge them because of how young Elena is and everything.” Jeremy whispered as Matt made an excuse to steer Caroline towards the rest of the party and away from Stefan.

“I’ll take care of it.” Kol agreed, giving his sister and friends a short nod before disappearing into the crowd.

“Doesn’t this remind you of the parties we used to go to in Chicago, Stef?” Rebekah asked with a light laugh, and the younger vampire agreed.

“Yeah, only those were usually in mansions or secret clubs that required passwords. Your brothers were also usually there, as was mine.” Stefan replied, and Bonnie looked over at them with as much intrigue as confusion on her face.

“How long have you two known each other?” she asked, and Jeremy snorted.

“They dated during the Roaring ‘20s, but then Bex got daggered by Klaus while Stef went on a Ripper binge and had to be sedated by Damon before getting dragged away from society and left in the capable hands of his best friend, Lexi, for detox.” the teenager said, and both vampires attempted to glare at him. “Those do nothing to me. I’ve had the pastry argument with Klaus and won.”

“The pastry argument?” Stefan asked, now just as confused as Bonnie.

“Klaus is very serious in his opinions on pastries, those opinions being that beignets are the best pastry and that the best ones are from New Orleans, and he will argue this with anyone. Jeremy won this argument against him at Easter when he gave his own opinion that the best pastries are the pumpkin-ricotta zeppole that Damon makes every year for Jeremy’s birthday.” Rebekah explained while the teenager laughed.

“I can see how he won. Damon’s baking is almost better than his cooking, and he does both phenomenally.” Stefan admitted, pausing as he looked up to see a girl staring at him from across the party. “Bonnie, who’s that?”

“Oh, her? That’s Matt’s sister, Vicki.” the witch answered.

“Why is she staring at me?” he asked.

“Other than you being an attractive guy she doesn’t know and hasn’t slept with yet, Matt’s probably told her about you. I wouldn’t touch her with a thirty-nine-and-a-half-foot pole, though. Between drugs and her willingness to sleep with pretty much anyone, it’s anyone’s guess what she may or may not have.” Bonnie told him before cutting her eyes over at Jeremy, who caught her.

“Hey, I’m the last person that’s gonna even think about experimenting with drugs, and I’m too young to be sleeping around with anything in a skirt. Do you have any idea what Damon would do to me if I did?” he defended himself, and Stefan nodded.

“I actually do have an idea, and Jeremy’s got the right idea. Damon’s usually pretty lax with alcohol and pot, but he won’t even let me or Mia near the hard stuff. I mean, it’d take significantly more than average for it to affect us, but it still does, and he’s the overprotective big brother for a reason.” the vampire said. “He’s also not nearly as lax about casual sex as you’d expect him to be either; at least not with his humanity turned on, he’s not.”

“He’s worse with me because I’m not only the _human_ brother, but I’m also the _baby_ brother.” Jeremy added.

“And to think, he’s who’s legally responsible for us as far as other humans are aware by our own choice!” Stefan noted, and the two boys laughed together before the girls led them over to what had been designated as the dancefloor.

While his sister and the others danced, Kol followed Matt and Caroline when the football player led the cheerleader away from the main party. The Original stepped out from the trees just behind Matt long enough for Caroline to know that he was there before stepping back out of sight. He listened as Matt asked Caroline what was on her mind, and Kol knew that he wasn’t the only one holding his proverbial breath for what would happen next.

“The best way to do this is probably the Band-Aid approach, so here it goes. Matt, I think we should break up, but this isn’t because of anything you did, I promise.” Caroline told him, and Kol waited to see what the human male’s response would be.

“Is this because of Stefan Salvatore?” he asked, and Kol rolled his eyes.

“No, it has nothing to do with Stefan.” she replied. “It has to do with the fact that you’ve got everything in your life planned out for the next ten or fifteen years, and I can’t live that life. I have plans and dreams that don’t involve Mystic Falls or the Commonwealth of Virginia, and our plans don’t match up in the slightest.”

“What are you talking about, Caroline? I thought we wanted the same things?” Matt asked, and she sighed.

“You only thought that because I never said anything different. Elena and I both had our dream college picked out when we were kids, and our sights have been set on Cornell since we were at least eight or nine. She likes their writing program, and I like their hospitality management program. I’m an event planner, it’s what I’m good at, and I know I can be better than any party planner I’ve seen visiting Elena in New York; small town life isn’t what I see in my future, and it would be wrong of me to string you along while knowing that we have very different expectations for how we want life to go.” Caroline told him, and Matt seemed to understand what she was saying. “You want to be a Mystic Falls success story, and I want that for you, but it’s not what I want for myself.”

“Once you leave, you don’t know that you’ll ever come back.” he said, and she half-nodded.

“As long as my mom’s here, I’d probably at least visit at Christmas if I wasn’t too busy, but I don’t know if I’d ever live here again.” she admitted, adding an additional statement under her breath to where only Kol could hear. “Or, better yet, when.”

“We do want different things, at least right now, but maybe we’ll want the same things one day?” Matt asked hopefully.

“I don’t know, Matt, but one day isn’t gonna be today.” Caroline replied. “I should probably get back before Jeremy or Bonnie comes looking for me.”

“Me too. Tyler’s gonna notice I’m gone before too much longer because, and we both know it, he hasn’t been nearly as interested in Vicki as he used to here lately.” Matt said, and Caroline gave a small smile and nod before walking away from Matt just as Kol stepped out from the trees and tapped the football player on the shoulder. “Kol, right?”

“Yes, this won’t hurt a bit.” the Original said before staring into Matt’s eyes with constricted pupils. “ _You will not tell anyone that Damon Salvatore and Elena Gilbert, alternatively Elena Gilbert-Mikaelson or Elena Salvatore, are married until they themselves allow it. You will not remember this conversation, but you will return to the party and tell your friend, Tyler, about yours and Caroline’s relationship ending._ ”

Kol had vanished by the time Matt regained control over himself, and the blond shook his head hard before making his way back to the party. His lingering glances throughout the night left Caroline on edge, however, and it wasn’t more than another hour into the party before she asked Stefan to get her out of there. Rebekah and Kol decided to leave as well, the siblings mentioning that they’d be going up to Richmond to hunt as they left. Bonnie, seeing the state her friend was in, asked if the four of them could just drive down to Sweet Briar and catch a movie.

“It’s on the way to Whitmore, so maybe we might even run into your parents and Jenna, right, Jer?” Caroline said, seeming to agree with Bonnie’s idea. “Stefan can drive, and we’ll be there in half-an-hour.”

“Sure.” the human male said.

“What movie?” the vampire male asked.

“The new _Terminator_ just came out on Thursday.” Bonnie said, but Jeremy shook his head at that.

“I can’t see that until Damon’s back; we agreed that we’d see it together for our regularly scheduled monthly brother-bonding time or whatever Elena calls it.” he told them, and Stefan tried and failed at hiding his jealousy. “Don’t worry, Stef, you get to come with us when we see it. He wants all three of us to bond this time, probably just to be sure that you’re not gonna get super jealous and kill me or something.”

“I’m not that bad.” Stefan said with a laugh. “What about the new _Star Trek_ movie?”

“I’m okay with that.” Jeremy said.

“Sure.” Bonnie shrugged.

“C’mon, let’s go before we’re too late to see it!” Caroline said finally, and the foursome made their way to the blonde’s car.

A few hours later and five hours away, Damon awoke to the sound of a car pulling up to the beach house. Leaving a sleeping Elena in the bed, he made his way to the front door where he was able to spy Elijah’s Lincoln from the window. Stepping outside, he met Elijah on the path leading to the house.

“What’s with the late-night visit?” Damon asked.

“It’s happened. Grayson and Miranda are gone.” Elijah answered solemnly.

“Oh God, no, I cannot wake my wife up to tell her that, within twenty-four hours of us getting married, her parents are dead.” Damon hissed quietly before taking a deep breath. “Is Jer okay?”

“Physically, yes, but emotionally, no. Klaus is with him for now, and Kol and Rebekah are on their way. Jeremy, along with Stefan, Bonnie, and Caroline, is who found the wreck.” the Original said, and Damon swore.

“How did that even happen?” he asked, running his hands over his face.

“Caroline’s now ex-boyfriend is a bit of a kicked puppy right now, and she was feeling uncomfortable at the party. So, trying to be good friends, your brothers and Bonnie offered to take her to Sweet Briar to see a movie. Jeremy saw the car and demanded that Stefan stop, but they were too late. All of them are with Jenna, who was driven herself by Alaric after she got the call while they were packing up her apartment, at the hospital at Whitmore; Kol and Bex were in Richmond, hunting, and started back as soon as Klaus called them. He left to be with the others at the same time I left to come tell the two of you.” Elijah said, and, after looking at him, Damon knew that he had already shed his fair share of tears on the drive.

“I’ll tell Elena, and we’ll be headed that way as soon as she’s ready to go, but I need to ask a favor.” he said.

“Name it.” came Elijah’s reply.

“Go to the Gilberts’ apartment in New York and get the envelope of documents related to what to do in the event of their deaths. I’m the executor of the estate, and everything concerning Jeremy and the house goes through both Jenna and me. We locked John out entirely, according to Grayson, but I’ll need the papers ASAP to be sure. I’d get them myself, but that would mean leaving Elena and Jeremy, and I can’t do that. Not this time.” Damon said, and Elijah nodded.

“You’ll have them tomorrow afternoon at the latest.” he said before turning back to walk to his car, pausing for a moment to look back over his shoulder. “Tell her that her family loves her and that we’re going to get through this together?”

“Of course.” Damon agreed before going back into the house to tell his wife the one thing that would effectively destroy her for a good while.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Well, sweets, we all knew this would happen sooner rather than later. Until next time, sweets...XOXO


	14. Non Mollare Mai Finché Non Ce Ne Saremo Andati

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "Near, far, wherever you are/I believe that the heart does go on/Once more, you open the door/And you're here in my heart/And my heart will go on and on..."  
>  -"My Heart Will Go On," by Celine Dion

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Alright, sweets, I won't lie to you and say that this chapter wasn't difficult to write. Funerals are emotionally challenging things, and the general dislike for John Gilbert did not make this any easier for me.

Elena hadn’t said a word since Damon had broken the news. Silently, she got dressed and got into the car beside him. Damon was worried about her reaction, unsure of how to take it, until they got to Whitmore University Hospital a few hours later after breaking nearly every traffic law known to man. The second they stepped into the hospital waiting room and saw the others, Elena made her way over to Klaus and curled into his side before breaking down in tears. Damon understood then what had been wrong. She needed a parent, and Klaus was the closest thing she had. It wasn’t that she didn’t need him, as she definitely would after a while, but she just needed a parent more in that moment. Kol and Rebekah had arrived and were with Caroline and Jeremy, and Damon motioned Stefan and Bonnie over while giving a sad nod of acknowledgement to Liz while she and Alaric comforted Jenna.

“What happened? Elijah told me the basics, but did you see the newborn?” he asked as soon as Stefan was in front of him.

“He woke up in transition while we were there, and he tried attacking Caroline.” Bonnie said, eyes cutting towards Stefan.

“All I did was vamp out, and he ran away. If he doesn’t find a stray camper or something before tomorrow night, we don’t have much to worry about because he’ll be dead anyway. The cops will find his body, I suppose, and the ‘case’ will be closed before the funeral.” Stefan explained, and Damon nodded.

“I know why he ran, and I’ll tell you about it later in a more private setting. Has Jenna dealt with any of the doctors yet?” he asked, and both shook their heads.

“Grayson was prepared. He had a note in his jacket pocket that the EMTs found that specified that you were going to be the one handling all of this, so they won’t talk to her.” Stefan said, and his brother sighed.

“You guys go back to the others. I’ll go see what they can tell me that I don’t already know.” Damon told them, and they nodded before returning to the group while he made his way to the nurses station and asked to see whoever was in charge of the Gilberts’ case.

“Are you Damon Salvatore?” the nurse at the desk asked, and he nodded. “It’s the first door on the right inside the double doors.”

Following her instructions, Damon went into the small conference room where he found himself face-to-face with two different doctors. One was female, with dark hair and light skin, and the other was male, his hair greying around the edges. His badge read WASHBURN while hers read LAUGHLIN. The male doctor was entirely human, but Damon could smell magic surrounding the female. He could tell that she recognized what he was, too, but she remained quiet as her male colleague spoke.

“Mr. Salvatore, I’m Dr. Russell Washburn, and this is Dr. Jo Laughlin. We’re both sorry for your loss.” he began. “Though it seems insensitive to ask, how were you related to the deceased?”

“I’m their son-in-law.” Damon said, and Dr. Washburn nodded.

“Well, it seems as though your mother-in-law didn’t feel any pain as the crash killed her instantly. Your father-in-law held on for a bit longer, but he died from his injuries at the scene. The medical examiner should release the bodies and personal effects in a few days’ time. Again, we’re sorry for your loss.” the doctor said, leaving the room without another word, and Damon turned towards the female doctor.

“Well, doesn’t he have excellent bedside manner.” the vampire snarked before looking over at the remaining doctor. “Witch?”

“Former. My coven selects its leadership via an archaic ritual that has one half of a set of twins absorb the other for their power, and I refused to comply. I stored my magic in an enchanted dagger, changed my last name, and enrolled in medical school. Vampire?” Dr. Laughlin replied.

“Since 1864.” Damon said. “I know what you’re probably thinking, and they really were my in-laws. My wife and I just got married almost two days ago, but I’ve known the Gilberts for nearly thirteen years. They brought me in as their daughter’s bodyguard when she was four, not knowing that she’s my soulmate, complete with bond, or that she’s technically a witch.”

“In that case, I truly am sorry for your loss. I can’t even begin to imagine what your wife must be going through…especially if I’m doing the math correctly and she’s only seventeen.” she told him, and he could tell that she was thrown by Elena’s age.

“She had a vision of this happening months ago, but there was no way we could stop it. Grayson and Miranda wanted us to get married before this happened because, as if our lives weren’t crazy enough, Elena’s adopted and her bio-dad is Grayson’s brother who’s tried to have me killed at least once, maybe twice in the last year alone and would stop at nothing to put her under his control if he found out that her soulmate is a vampire with one of the deadliest reputations in the world. Add to it that you’ve got Elena’s thirty-second great-grandfather, the Original Hybrid and soon-to-be King of All Things That Go Bump in the Night, and my brother, the Ripper of Monterey, in your waiting room right now with two more Originals, it’s not as big a stretch to believe that Elena turns seventeen in a month.” Damon said, and he watched the doctor’s expression as he described Klaus’ new position.

“Since when are we all united under a single ruler?” she asked, and he chuckled.

“The Faction, a group made up of werewolves, witches, vampires, the Originals, the Original Hybrid, and a human representative all from New Orleans, is set to vote on it in the coming weeks. The Originals are very real, three of them being in the waiting room at this very moment, and Elena is descended from Niklaus Mikaelson, the Original Hybrid, who will be king when the vote takes place. It’s a limited constitutional monarchy, so he won’t have total free reign, and most of the reason for him becoming king is because of Elena; she’s a hybrid herself, our soulmates bond causing her to take in my blood as her own and become more vampiric the more she drinks, which she has to do unless she wants to die while shaving her legs, and Klaus doesn’t want her or anyone like her having to live in fear of being rejected by whichever group they were born into or chose to join.” Damon explained, and Dr. Laughlin nodded. “He released all of the witches he had bound to him after he started having a relationship with Elena, and he and his siblings plan on banning the practice all together once he’s king.”

“I’d need to meet him in person to form a better opinion, but this doesn’t sound half bad. Where could I find him outside of a family tragedy?” she asked.

“We’re all in the process of moving to Mystic Falls, an hour or so away from here, and official business is conducted at the Salvatore Boarding House.” he told her. “Think of it like Buckingham Palace versus Windsor Castle.”

“Since Dr. Washburn didn’t do this, and mine would be more beneficial anyway, here’s my card. If you guys ever need me, I’m just a phone call away.” Dr. Laughlin said, passing Damon a business card that he pocketed instantly. “But, if you do call, you can call me Jo.”

“Damon.” he said, offering her his hand to shake, which she accepted. “Thanks for not being as cold as that asshat.”

“I figured that this wasn’t necessarily normal after I realized that one of the teens who found the wreck was a vamp, your brother I’m guessing, but that doesn’t mean that you aren’t still hurting.” she said, and he smiled sadly.

“Even when you know it’s coming, it still stings like bitch.” he said, giving her a nod and leaving the room to return to his grieving family.

To say that Mystic Falls was rocked when it was announced that the eldest son of the Gilbert family and his wife had been killed in a car accident would’ve been a major understatement. Liz had made the announcement at the emergency council meeting she’d called on Monday, and Damon stood their hiding his amusement at the varied reactions as she announced that Grayson had named him as the person who would hold the Gilbert council seat in trust until Elena was old enough to take it. Zach had made an effort to appear happy for him, but Damon knew better; Logan Fell glared hard when Liz added in that Damon shared custody of Jeremy with Jenna and would be splitting his time between staying at the Boarding House with Stefan and Zach and staying at the Gilbert house with Jenna and Jeremy, the implication that Elena would be there as well seemed to be enough for the council to not question if/why Damon didn’t share custody of her. John Gilbert, thankfully, wasn’t present, and the reasons for him not getting either the Gilbert seat or custody of the children was explained as him and Grayson having had a falling out some years previously, which they had had about the time the Mikaelsons started coming around more often.

After the council meeting, the news overtook the town within hours. Damon overheard the comments the residents of Mystic Falls made as he and Liz left her office at the sheriff’s department a little under an hour later for the two of them to make the drive back to the Mikaelson mansion where everyone had been since returning from Whitmore on Sunday afternoon. When they arrived, Liz agreed to check in on both Jenna and Elena while Damon went to Klaus’ office to talk with the Original siblings and his own brother. Entering the room, he saw Klaus sitting behind the desk with paperwork spread out before him, Elijah and Kol lounging in the plush armchairs on either side of the table that held the crystal decanter Grayson and Miranda had given Klaus for Christmas his third or fourth year of spending it with them, and Stefan and Rebekah exiting the bar area with drinks in hand. Stefan handed a glass of bourbon to his brother, and Damon accepted it before collapsing in the chair across the desk from Klaus.

“It’s solid, right?” he asked, and his great-grandfather-in-law nodded.

“John Gilbert can’t do anything to get involved in either Jeremy or Elena’s lives, and he can’t be anything more than a minor annoyance for Jenna and yourself. He may try to contest ownership of the house, but he wouldn’t get very far given that it was legally bequeathed to Jeremy to be held in trust by Jenna until he turns eighteen. If anything happens to Jenna, then you would take over the trust until his eighteenth birthday, and we would move the three of you here for safety reasons.” Klaus assured him, taking a sip from his own glass of what Damon was sure was single-malt.

“That is the best news I’ve had since Elena and I left for North Carolina on Saturday.” Damon said, taking a large gulp of alcohol before turning to his little brother who, he had realized, was trying to get his attention. “Yeah, Stef?”

“I called Lexi, at Klaus’ request, to tell her about the Faction’s vote. We all know that once New Orleans makes a decision, it doesn’t take long for the rest of the world to follow, and she’s on board. But, because we can’t seem to catch a damn break lately, she warned me that Isobel was with John a few days ago. Lexi tracked her down before the wedding as a favor to me, and she only saw John and Isobel, not Katherine, with the newborn, who’s most likely still alive because Lexi said part of the deal was that Isobel would stay close by with a blood bag just in case he couldn’t feed on Miranda or a first responder to complete his transition. John knew that his brother was going to die, but we can’t prove it in court without the word of a woman who’s been declared dead despite most legal requirements calling for her to have been missing for at least another five years.” Stefan said, and all of them sighed almost in sync.

“Elijah is going to be posing as mine and Kol’s legal guardian for the next school year, as we, knowing that Isobel and John are clearly working together, think it would be best to have as many of us as possible around Jeremy and Elena at all times. Elena will have me, Bonnie and Stefan, so Jeremy will have Kol.” Rebekah added, getting a nod in response from Damon as he took another large drink after Stefan’s words.

“We’re also hoping to keep the Lockwood boy from triggering his curse for as long as possible, perhaps at all. If it’s not necessary, there’s no reason to subject him to it.” Kol said, and even Klaus agreed with his point.

“I’ve asked the Faction to put off voting until after the funeral, and they will be returning here for said vote with Marcel joining them. I don’t want my attention anywhere but here until after the funeral, which I hope you understand.” Klaus told the room, and all of them nodded.

“We do understand, brother, and we would all be more surprised at this point if you hadn’t done that.” Elijah remarked with just the hint of a smile ghosting across his face.

“If this is everything we have for the briefing, I’ll update you guys on the funeral details once Jenna and I finalize them. For now, I need to check on the kid and my wife.” Damon said, finishing off his drink and heading for the door. “Please, don’t need me for a while, okay?”

“Go on, Damon.” he heard Klaus say. “We’ve got things handled for now. They need you more than we do.”

The first place that Damon went upon going upstairs was Elena’s room, and he found his wife sleeping soundly. Happy to see this after the fitful night she’d had the previous night, he pressed a kiss to her temple and left the room in search of Jeremy, finding the boy in Klaus’ home gym in the basement. Jeremy was a decent fighter, having been trained by Damon himself, but the vampire still felt surprise surge through him as he saw the way his baby brother was unloading on the heavy bag.

“I’m glad I’m not the bag.” he said by way of alerting the teen to his presence. “What’d it do to you?”

“The bag didn’t do anything, but I’d get sent to juvie if I did this to my uncle, and I’d get myself killed if I tried doing this to Isobel.” Jeremy responded, slowing his punches as Damon neared.

“You heard?” he asked, and the teen nodded.

“Stef told Aunt Liz about it last night after he got off the phone with Lexi; you and Elena had gone out for your walk, and I’d gotten up for a glass of water since, apparently, crying this much can leave you fairly dehydrated. How could he do something like that to his brother? I’d never do anything like that to you, Lena, Care, or Stef!” Jeremy replied, missing his last punch and falling to the floor knees first. “I hate him!”

Damon knelt down beside the boy and pulled him in for a brotherly hug. He didn’t blame Jeremy for hating John, not after what the man had done by allowing Isobel to orchestrate Grayson and Miranda’s deaths. If anything, he understood how the kid felt better than Jeremy realized.

“I think we all hate him right about now, buddy, and, strangely, that’s okay. What John did, if we could prove it, is classified as negligent homicide at the very least and conspiracy to commit murder at most. I know how you feel, though, because I was right where you are now when my father shot me and when your dad told me the truth about Katherine.” Damon explained, maneuvering them into a sitting position as he continued. “This is someone who’s supposed to care about you, claims that they love you, and here they are betraying you in the worst way imaginable. It sucks, but you will get through this because you have it in you to be the better person here and not let the hurt fester inside until you become an unrecognizable monster hellbent on revenge. I’m not saying to forgive him, because not even I could ever manage that, but you don’t have to stay angry either.”

“How’d you do it? How’d you let go of your anger?” the teenager asked, and Damon gave him a small smile.

“In short, Stef, Mia, Milo, you and your sister. It was easier with my father than with Katherine, but that’s to be expected. I knew how he felt about me before he shot me, but I spent over a century thinking that Katherine really did love me and had a lot more anger because of it. I mean, I took a few weeks to burn through the surface levels of my rage, but I came back to be Elena’s bodyguard and ended up basically becoming you guys’ nanny instead. I don’t regret that, not in the least, and having something to focus on, someone to care about, and someone who literally depended on me for everything made me let go of it all because I couldn’t be there for you two when my head was a million miles away wondering what the backstabbing bitch was doing instead of trying to find me or Stef.” the vampire admitted, getting a smile out of the teen. “Having to stop you from chewing on my jacket every five seconds was an excellent distraction, I must say.”

“I don’t think becoming a nanny is the thing for me.” he joked, getting a grin back. “I’m still a kid myself, so I know I can’t take care of one yet.”

“No, you’re probably right about that. You just need something to put your energy into that isn’t as self-destructive as wallowing in your own fury, and I think I know just the person to help you. C’mon, Jer, we need to talk to Klaus.” Damon said, hauling the teen to his feet and near-dragging him up the stairs and into the kitchen where Klaus was making himself a cup of coffee.

“Oh, hello.” the Original Hybrid said, somewhat surprised. “I didn’t think you’d be done destroying the heavy bag just yet.”

“Me either, but Damon lugged me up here to talk to you.” Jeremy said, and Klaus chuckled.

“How can I be of service?” he asked, and Damon sighed.

“You’ve seen the kid draw for years, Klaus, so I think you should teach him to paint. He needs an outlet, and you need an excuse to buy new art supplies. It’s a win-win.” he said, and they both blinked in mild shock.

“Art therapy? I’ve read about its applications for years, and I’ve always wanted to try it!” Klaus said in an almost-giddy tone.

“You’d actually let me paint with you?” Jeremy asked, and Klaus nodded.

“I’m a firm believer that talent should be cultivated, Jeremy, and you already know this. You’re one of the best sketch artists I’ve seen, and I’ve seen near all of them. Helping you transfer your work from paper to canvas would be an absolute pleasure for me.” the hybrid said, and Damon let out a relieved breath as he saw the smile take over Jeremy’s face.

“When can we start?” the teen asked.

“If you go shower now, we can take a ride up to the crafts store in Richmond today and be back by dinner.” Klaus told him, and Jeremy was up the stairs in little time at all.

“Thank you.” Damon said, and the hybrid chuckled.

“Everything I told him was true, so there’s no need to thank me, but you can do so if you’re so intent on doing it by taking care of your wife. I believe that she’s waking from her nap as we speak.” he replied, and Damon gave a short nod before following Jeremy’s example and hurrying up the stairs.

Elena woke alone in her bedroom at the Mikaelson mansion, surprised at no one being in the room with her for the first time since Damon had woken her up with the news of her parents’ deaths. She heard footsteps outside her door and let out a breath she hadn’t realized that she’d been holding when the door opened and her husband slipped into the room. He closed the door behind him and made his way over to sit down beside her on the bed. As soon as he was sitting down, she moved into his lap and let her head fall against his chest.

“Did you have a good nap?” Damon asked, feeling her nod against him.

“How’s the council meeting go?” Elena asked in reply.

“Well, the Lockwoods were surprised that there were more Salvatores than just Zach, who then had to explain that he has cousins across the country going back to the original Salvatores of Mystic Falls’ founding days; Logan Fell thinks that I’ve got a thing for Jenna since she and I share custody of Jer now; and everyone is aware that your dad and John had a falling out almost fourteen years ago and were barely speaking, if at all, when the accident occurred.” he told her, and she let out a snort.

“I was still awake when Stefan told Aunt Bex and Uncle Kol about John being in on Isobel’s plan. I fell asleep when they went to tell Uncle Elijah and Grand-Klaus, but I guess everyone knows by now given how silent the house is and everything.” she said, and he shrugged.

“Once Jeremy’s out of the shower, he’s going to Richmond with Klaus to shop for art supplies; Klaus is gonna help him work through his emotions with art therapy, and Jer is really excited to learn from him.” Damon said, doing his best to pinpoint the others. “Jenna’s in her room picking out flower arrangements for the funeral while she’s on the phone with Ric; Stef’s going to see Bonnie and Shelia while Liz and Care go home to change clothes and shower. Bex and Kol are both in the library, and Elijah is in Klaus’ office making copies of every single document we have that says John has no claim to you, Jer, the house, or any of your parents’ assets. I called Ric before the meeting started, and he’s driving down from Duke as soon as he locks up his office. Lessie is gathering yours and Jeremy’s work for the remainder of the school year and bringing it down after the funeral so that you don’t even have to go back to New York if you don’t want to go. I just wish there was more that I could do for you right now, princess, I truly do.”

“Baby, you being here is enough. You’re hurting right now, too, I can feel it, and you can let your walls down when it’s just us. Mom and Dad were your family for over twelve years, and it’s okay for you to mourn just like the rest of us.” Elena said, fingers playing with the curling ends of his hair, and her words shattered the floodgates that had been holding Damon’s enhanced emotions back for almost two days.

Tears stinging as they trailed down his face, Damon leaned into her touch. In the seven months since Elena’s initial vision of her parents’ deaths, Damon had always assumed that he would be the one providing comfort rather than seeking it, but having someone remind him that his feelings were just as important as anyone else’s was enough to bring the totality of the past few days down around him. Friday night, he’d been dancing with Miranda at his wedding as she took the place of his mother for one night, Grayson had called him his son during his toast at the reception, and then they were both gone by the time the sun rose on Sunday morning. He felt more broken by losing them than he had at his own father’s death, and he had spent just as much time with them as he ever had with his mother. He cried, his emotions no longer bottled up tight, and Elena cried with him, the pain of losing her parents mixing with the pain she felt at not knowing if she was making any difference as to her husband’s emotional state. By the time Klaus ducked his head into the room to let them know that he and Jeremy were leaving for Richmond, the two had cried themselves to sleep in each other’s arms. The hybrid smiled sadly at the sight and covered them with a fleece throw blanket before leaving for the garage.

One week after the accident, one week after his and Elena’s wedding, Damon helped Jeremy with his tie while Elena got herself dressed for the funeral. Everyone was on edge, and everyone had been given an assignment for the day. Given that it was his brother’s funeral, John was expected to make an appearance. Damon had been tasked with keeping Jeremy and Elena from going after the man and causing a scene; Stefan, Rebekah, and Kol had been tasked with helping him and assuring that he didn’t go after John Gilbert himself. Alaric and Klaus would be keeping an eye out for Isobel, should she follow her ex-boyfriend, and Elijah and Alessia would be on the lookout for the newborn and/or Katherine should she be there. Elena and Jeremy’s task was to help Jenna as much as possible and not let Logan Fell anywhere near her if one of the vampires wasn’t around to run interference. Jenna herself only had to remember the story they’d created months earlier as to why Damon was considered family without revealing his and Elena’s marriage. Liz, for her part, would be running interference with the council, and Caroline would be working with Bonnie and Sheila to create the protection spell that would keep anyone with intent to harm or desecrate the Gilberts’ graves from doing so; the spell required human blood willingly given by someone not blood related to the person in the grave, and the blonde had been happy to have something to contribute.

“You promise not to attack your uncle in front of the humans, Jer?” Damon asked as he straightened the teen’s tie.

“I promise not to make a scene at Mom and Dad’s funeral, D, but that’s it. If John makes a threat towards you, Jenna, or Elena, I won’t hold myself back.” Jeremy answered.

“That reminds me, before we get going, you should have this.” Damon said as he handed his youngest brother a black ring box that Jeremy opened to reveal Grayson’s family ring.

“Dad’s ring?” he asked, and Damon nodded.

“You need to put this on and never take it off, okay? While it won’t protect you from John, nothing supernatural can kill you as long as you’re wearing it, not even Klaus.” the vampire explained in as calm and serious a manner as he could. “You would still technically die, but you’d come back to life after a couple of minutes so long as the ring is still on your finger no matter how you die so long as it’s done by someone supernatural.”

“If Isobel’s a vampire and planned the crash that killed Mom and Dad, why didn’t the ring bring Dad back?” Jeremy asked, confused.

“Even though Isobel planned it, Jer, she had a human with vampire blood in his system be the person behind the wheel. A human directly caused the accident, so the ring didn’t recognize Grayson’s death as being supernatural.” Damon explained, and Jeremy nodded as he slipped the ring onto the middle finger of his right hand.

“Does John have a ring like this?” the boy asked, and the vampire shook his head with a smirk.

“He had one, but he gave it away seventeen years ago. Isobel gave it to Ric when they were married, and he still wears it now, mostly because she told him about its power.” he said.

“Since he hates vampires so much and probably suspects that Elena and I have grown up not hating vampires after his and Dad’s fight, and he wants to kill you, you think he’ll want my ring.” it wasn’t a question, but Damon nodded anyway.

“Yeah, I think he does, but can we avoid mentioning how badly John wants to kill me on the day of your parents’ funeral where Elena could potentially hear us?” he asked, and Jeremy went wide-eyed before nodding.

“I didn’t think- I’m sorry, bro, that was stupid of me.” he apologized, but the vampire waived him off and clapped him on the shoulder.

“Don’t worry about it, Jer; she didn’t hear it this time, thanks to Caroline asking a million questions about Stef, but try not to do it again.” Damon told him, and Jeremy chuckled.

“You guys still haven’t told them?” he asked, shaking his head at the smirk he got in response. “I’m so gonna win my bet with Kol at this rate.”

Mystic Falls Church was packed by the time the funeral began. Damon stuck close to Elena and Jeremy the whole time, and he shared a wordless agreement with Alaric for the vampire hunter to stay near Jenna; though there hadn’t been any sightings of John before the service began, Damon knew he’d show up before the day was over and done. His suspicions were confirmed near the middle of the pastor’s sermon about the fragility of life when Klaus let out a low growl.

“He’s here.” the Original Hybrid said to where only his family would hear, and Damon felt Elena tighten her grip on his hand.

“Baby, don’t leave me, please.” she begged quietly, and he squeezed her hand in assurance of his intention of not leaving her side.

As they were leaving the church a little bit later, the family moved towards the black Lincoln Town Car Royale sedan-style limousine that Klaus had hired to take them from the church to the cemetery. Well, they were all aware that Klaus had only hired the driver; the limo had been an outright purchase he deemed necessary not only for the Mikaelsons’ apparent collection of Lincoln cars but also as the official limousine for the royal family on such occasions. They could all, even the humans, hear John calling out and trying to catch up to them, but his cries seemed to fall on deaf ears. Liz and Caroline had decided to carpool to the cemetery with Bonnie and Sheila, and Stefan was going along as their extra bit of protection against the likes of Isobel and her lackies. So, the ten remaining members of the group piled into the limo with Kol sitting in the front passenger seat beside the driver, ready to compel the man to forget hearing anything they discussed.

“When we return home for the repast, I suggest that John be taken into my office by Jenna because, and I mean no offense by this, he isn’t likely to see her as a threat.” Klaus said as the driver pulled away from the church after the two hearses before them.

“None taken, Klaus, and I agree; I like that he doesn’t see me as a threat, though, because he’ll never see it coming when I get him.” Jenna said, a wry smile making its way onto her face despite the sadness she felt. “What happens after I get him into your office?”

“Elijah, Kol, and Rebekah will work our guests, tell them subtly of how long the Gilbert brothers went without speaking and of how Damon and Jenna, as well as the four of us, have been there for Jeremy and Elena even before the accident. Stefan will stay with the Forbes women, for we can’t have John knowing all our cards right away, and Jeremy will stay with the Bennetts; I apologize in advance, Jer, but that ring won’t protect you from John should you try confronting him.” Klaus explained, and Jeremy nodded while Elena looked at him with a curious expression.

“What about me?” she asked, and he sighed.

“The choice is entirely up to you, my dear, but if you do chose to accompany Damon, Jenna, Alaric, and myself as we confront John, you will never be left alone or vulnerable around him. I would never place you in a position where you’d likely be hurt, as you well know, so I am leaving the final decision to you because only you know if you are mentally ready for this moment.” Klaus told her, and she nodded.

“I’m ready.” she said, meeting the eyes of each of her family members as she spoke. “I need to do this, and I don’t know that I will if I back down now. If worst comes to worst, we can knock him unconscious, claim he left early, and lock him in the basement at the boarding house until the vervain is out of his system so that he can be compelled to either forget or act however all of us deem appropriate. Stefan can clue Zach in so that he’ll have plausible deniability if it somehow ever got out that John Gilbert was at one point locked in the basement of the Salvatore Boarding House for unknown reasons, right?”

“Sometimes, I can’t tell if you’re more like Damon or Nik, and I’m not sure that’s a good thing.” Kol chuckled from the front, and Elena grinned.

“I’ve grown up around both of them, so did you ever think I really had a chance, Uncle?” she replied, and he let out a full-on laugh at this.

“And that would be where we see ‘Lijah’s part in your upbringing!” the youngest of the three Mikaelson brothers said, making the eldest roll his eyes while failing at concealing a smile.

Surprisingly enough for all involved, Klaus’ plan went off without a hitch in so far as getting John away from the mourners before confronting him. The Original Hybrid didn’t bother hiding his smirk as Jenna and Alaric led the man into the office and a look of pure shock washed over the younger Gilbert brother upon seeing Elena sitting comfortably in Damon’s lap in one of the armchairs near the center of the room. As Alaric bolted the door behind them, Klaus stood from his chair and cleared his throat to get John’s attention.

“John Gilbert, you have no idea how long I have been waiting to finally meet you face-to-face.” he said, watching as his words sent a barely perceptible shiver up the human Gilbert’s spine. “I suspect that you have very little idea as to who I am, correct?”

“What sort of game are you playing at, Jenna, involving these monsters?” John asked his sister-in-law’s sister, ignoring Klaus all together, not realizing exactly how much of a mistake that was.

“You will show me respect, boy, especially in my own home.” Klaus growled, looking much taller and more imposing than he actually was as he glowered down at his great-granddaughter’s birth father, pleased to see fear in the man’s eyes. “I am Niklaus Mikaelson, the king of the very monsters you so fear, and the only reason you are still standing here is because, even after all you have done to cause my child pain, Elena has asked me to spare your life. If I were to do this my way, you’d already be dead, you smarmy bastard.”

“Your child?” John asked with an outrage still tempered by his fear. “Elena isn’t your daughter!”

“No, but she is my thirty-second great-granddaughter through her birth mother, Isobel, and her witch-ancestors Katerina Petrova, her daughter Nadia, and, the daughter at the start of my descendant line, Ylva Mikaelson.” the hybrid said, watching as the color drained from John’s face with each sentence. “Between the two of us, I am the one that’s been here for her ever since she was but a babe in her bassinet. I am the one who helped her through coming into her magic when her parents, Damon, Elijah, and I realized that she’d inherited both mine and Ylva’s mother Tatia’s witch genetics. I am the one who held her as she cried over the deaths of her parents one week ago in a hospital waiting room. I have been more of a parent to Elena in nearly seventeen years than you’ve ever even imagined being, and she is every bit my child as any of the others who share my blood. In fact, I’ve even been accused of playing favorites with her by my son, and I have no doubts that Katerina, or as you may know her, _Katherine_ , would say the same thing.”

“What about him?” John managed to ask, nodding sharply towards Damon with disdain clear on his face. “Why’s he even here? He killed Isobel, one of your descendants, but he’s got Elena in his lap! Why is he allowed to be that close to a girl you claim to love as a daughter?”

“Though she doesn’t remember it, I’ve met Isobel since her turning, John, and I know for a fact that Damon didn’t even touch her. Isobel was turned by Alexia Branson, a friend of the family who Damon trusted enough to at least teach Isobel what she refuses to practice, and Isobel’s sense of stealth is entirely from the compulsion I placed upon her because she was so obvious as a newborn. As it is, I should have you know that Damon Salvatore is the one person who doesn’t carry the Mikaelson name that I trust completely to ensure Elena’s safety.” Klaus said, smirking even wider.

“As for why I’m here, John, that would be because I’m the executor of Grayson and Miranda’s estate, one of the two people named as Jeremy’s guardian, and, as of the discussion held last night in this very room, Head of Security for the royal family…well, Lead Security Strategist, technically, as well as a prince or lord of some sort or something like that.” Damon added, and John’s eyes narrowed at the way Elena turned to smile at the vampire whose lap she was occupying.

“Why are you Jeremy’s guardian, and who’s Elena’s guardian?” John asked, eyes cutting over towards Alaric as the professor chuckled deeply while pouring himself and Jenna each a drink at the bar. “Something funny, Saltzman?”

“Oh, this whole world you seem to live in is funny to me, John.” Alaric said with a smirk as he offered Jenna her drink.

“Damon shares guardianship of Jeremy with me because Jeremy asked his parents to make it that way. Damon’s his brother in all but blood, and he can’t remember a time where Damon didn’t live with them given how he was two when Damon moved into the penthouse in the first place.” Jenna said, accepting her drink from her boyfriend and turning to look over at her niece. “You two wanna tell him, or should I?”

“I’ll do it.” Elena spoke, and John ripped his eyes from Jenna to refocus on his daughter. “I don’t have a guardian because I’ve been emancipated in the Commonwealth of Virginia since January of this year. Mom and Dad thought it was a good idea since Damon and I were already planning on getting married.”

“You can’t marry an evil creature like him, Elena.” he snapped. “I can’t believe that my brother would’ve actually allowed it, and I know that I won’t.”

“Allowed it? Dad suggested it, and that was after we found out that Damon is literally my soulmate and the most incredible man I’ve ever known.” Elena snapped right back. “As far as you saying that I can’t marry Damon, you’re about a week late for that one. You might’ve contributed to my conception, but you’re not now nor have you ever been my father; even if I wasn’t already emancipated, you have no right to say what I can or can’t do with my life.”

“If you’re emancipated, then why was I informed by Carol Lockwood that Damon is holding our family’s seat on the council in trust for you until you’re eighteen?” John asked, smirking as if he’d found a trump card.

“That’s probably because no one outside of those considered family actually know about the emancipation. In fact, no one in Mystic Falls who isn’t family even knows that Elena and I are married, and they won’t know until we want them to know.” Damon said casually, though his arms tightened around Elena’s waist as John continued smirking.

“We’ll see about that. I’ll be in town for the next council meeting, and I’ll make sure to enlighten my fellow council members as to what’s really going on here.” he threatened, not hearing Elijah walking up behind him.

“Well, we can’t have that, now, can we?” the eldest of the awakened Mikaelsons said as he struck the human with a closed fist just behind his left ear, causing John to drop to the floor in a heap of unconsciousness. “I’ll have Stefan take him to the dungeon.”

Once the younger Salvatore brother had carted John off, Klaus excused Elena and Damon to their room while he went with Jenna, Alaric, and Elijah to inform the others and entertain their guests. Damon turned on the small stereo near the door as he closed it behind them, knowing that what happened next wouldn’t occur in silence. Removing his jacket and tie, Damon settled himself on the bed before pulling Elena into his lap with her facing him. Her locket lay discarded on the bedside table, and her hair had been pulled away from her neck. With everything that had occurred over the past eight days, the vampire had barely fed on enough blood bags to keep him going and refused to hunt for fresh blood after the deal he and Elena had made on Halloween night. He and Elijah were planning a raid of the nearest blood bank outside of Mystic Falls the following week, but he needed fresh blood much sooner than that. As his fangs sank into her throat, he resisted the urge to smirk at the pleasure-filled moan that slipped from Elena’s lips. He detached as soon as he felt her heartbeat slow from its normal speed, and she surprised him by opening her mouth to reveal her own fangs that she then used to bite into the spot where his neck and collarbone met. Damon hadn’t been prepared for the feeling that pulsed through him when she did this; Elena drinking from him this way, as opposed to from his wrist as she normally did, felt far more intimate and far more pleasurable than he’d ever thought blood-sharing could. When she detached, both sets of bitemarks healing within seconds, he kissed her the way he had on Christmas. The taste of his own blood still lingered, as he’d expected, but he found himself surprised again when he tasted Elena’s blood in addition to his own. She had cut her tongue on one of his fangs, something he knew she had to have done on purpose after never having managed it over the course of seven months since their first kiss, and he happily, despite how much blood they’d already exchanged, cut his tongue on her fangs, too. It was only when she began to unbutton his shirt that he pulled away.

“Princess, are you sure you wanna do this? We’re in a house full of vampires, witches, untriggered werewolves, and humans who might very well hear us if we don’t stop now.” he asked, and she sighed before moving her hands from his shirt’s buttons to his face. “I don’t think I’ve got it in me to be quiet if we keep going.”

“I know that the day of my parents’ funeral might be the most awkward time to ever have to say this, but, as I’ve been an emotional wreck and haven’t had sex with my husband in a week, we should really send Kol and Bex with Elijah on that blood bank run tonight while sending Klaus to the boarding house to make sure that Zach doesn’t let John get away.” she told him, knowing that her family could hear every word.

“Jer can either stay in his room here, since it’s practically on the other side of the house, or he can go have a slumber party with Stefan.” Damon added, and Elena grinned.

“I think that ranks in the Top 5 ideas you’ve ever had, baby.” she said, and he raised an eyebrow in curiosity.

“What else ranks in the Top 5?” he asked, and she giggled.

“Your best idea, at least as far as I’m concerned, was when you said that we’re definitely getting our kids a puppy. Sending Jer to the boarding house with Klaus and Stefan makes the cut, and that’s joined by the song we danced to at our wedding, you calling me your dark princess, and you coming back to protect me after you found out what Katherine had really been doing.” Elena listed these things off in a soft voice, though her smile dropped considerably as they both heard footsteps nearing the door. “I’ll get the door; you get redressed.”

Grabbing her locket as she rolled off his lap, Elena kissed Damon on the cheek before crossing the room while securing her locket around her neck. Opening the door, she found Jenna standing in front of her. The blonde raised an eyebrow at the brunette, and the younger woman rolled her eyes and sighed.

“At least you waited to interrupt us until after we finished feeding.” Elena said quietly, and Jenna shrugged.

“I figured something was going on when the vamps all started swearing and complaining about not needing to have certain mental pictures in their heads. If it’s of any help to whatever plans you’re making for tonight, I’ll be in the guest cottage with Ric and far away from the two of you…by human standards.” her aunt said, and Elena giggled.

“Thank you, Aunt Jenna.” she told her. “We’ll be down in a few minutes.”

“You better be. I can only hold off Carol Lockwood for so long!” Jenna replied with a laugh of her own before leaving, and Elena shook her head as she closed the door and turned to see Damon pulling on his jacket.

“Somehow, I’m pretty sure that Carol Lockwood isn’t looking for me.” she told him, and he chuckled as he wrapped his arms around her.

“She can look all she wants, sweetheart, but I’m always gonna be all yours.” he replied, pressing a kiss to her lips as she looked up at him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Well, sweets, that happened. Elijah's bit was my favorite thing to write, I will be honest, and Alaric was a close second. John will return...eventually, but that should be the last you see of him for a while. Until next time, sweets...XOXO


	15. Et Apparent Stellae Umbrae Vespere

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "I'd go hungry Id go black and blue/I'd go crawling down the avenue/There ain't nothing I wouldn't do/To make you feel my love..."  
>  "Make You Feel My Love," (written by Bob Dylan) by Trisha Yearwood from the film Hope Floats.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Hello there, sweets. This chapter will provide more information on what changes Elena is going through due to hers and Damon's bond, what they're doing to learn more about their future children, and what they have to tell the ever so oblivious Stefan and Caroline. Enjoy.

The last days of May slipped into June as Elena and Jeremy finished up the school year by mail. It had taken nearly two whole days for all of the vervain to work its way out of John’s system before Klaus compelled him to forget everything the family had confronted him on and to only recall that Jenna had explained to him that she had custody of the Gilbert children and ownership of the Gilbert house, and the hybrid had also compelled him to leave Mystic Falls as soon as he was released without speaking to anyone and to not return until at least after the Christmas holidays. With John out of the way for the moment, the family spent most of their time in the Mikaelson Mansion while the Gilbert house underwent major renovations. Grayson and Miranda had mentioned it needing some repairs after they had checked in on the house in January, but it had looked nothing like the pictures Elena had seen of her first two months of life when she had gone with Damon, Jenna, and Jeremy to see it a few days after the funeral. Liz had been the one to inform them that the people who had been renting the house from Grayson and Miranda hadn’t exactly treated the home with care or anything resembling respect. It had taken Damon less than two seconds to register the look of despair on his wife’s face at the state of her family’s home and take out his cell phone to call Klaus for the name of the company he’d used in building the mansion. Klaus had agreed, though he did so accompanied by complaints as to not understanding why Damon couldn’t use the same company he had used for the boarding house; Damon hadn’t given him a straight answer, and Klaus agreed to drop the questioning for Elena’s sake. As a family, Damon and Elena worked with Jeremy and Jenna to redesign the house for their needs, and the four had been pleased to learn that the renovations would be done by the time the school year started in September.

Life went along as normally as it could in the wake of Grayson and Miranda’s deaths, and Elena had almost forgotten about hers and Damon’s honeymoon until, about a week before their birthdays on a day where they’d sought refuge from the Mikaelsons by hiding out at the boarding house, Damon asked her if she still wanted to go on the trip. She thought it over, contemplating if they should fly to Italy for two weeks away from everyone just to have some time to themselves after having spent nearly a month trapped between the mansion and the boarding house where there seemed to always be at least one other person with enhanced senses to ruin any and all intimate moments they may have had, but ultimately told him that she didn’t think it was a good idea now that people knew they were in town. Damon had furrowed his brow in confusion, and Elena had giggled at him.

“Baby, while they might not be able to spot a real vampire or werewolf without help, the people of this town aren’t oblivious enough to not notice if you and I disappeared at the same time for two weeks while everyone else, including the two teenagers that you actually have custody of, is still here.” she pointed out as they lay stretched out on their bed with the afternoon sun warming their skin through the open blinds, and he chuckled as he set _Call of the Wild_ on the bedside table and pulled her close, legs tangling together under the blankets covering them.

“That is true, princess, so I guess we’ll have to postpone the Italy trip for now. I’m sure we could still manage something for our birthdays, though, if you wanna get away from everyone for a bit?” he offered, gazing down at her as she rested her head against his shoulder.

“We could try for a weekend getaway, leaving the day after your birthday and getting back the day before mine, but where would we go?” she replied, smiling happily at the thought of being able to have an uninterrupted night or two with her husband.

“We could always go back to the beach house for the weekend, and we’d still be close enough that we could make it back quickly if something happened?” Damon suggested, his ears perking up as he heard the sound of an engine nearing the house. “Don’t answer right now. Someone’s here.”

“Who?” Elena asked, moving with him as he got up and went to the window to peer down at the front driveway. “Ric and Jenna, seriously?”

“So much for our alone time.” Damon lamented. “We really should’ve known better.”

“Probably, but, right now, you need to find pants.” Elena said with a smirk. “I’m not entirely sure what I did with the ones you were wearing at breakfast.”

Damon and Elena, both dressed and decent, snuck down the stairs to eavesdrop on Alaric and Jenna’s conversation in the parlor. The two were discussing a party of some sort, and Elena knew what party when she heard her own name. Looking over at Damon, they both knew that their weekend away would have to wait.

“-m just saying that maybe a party isn’t what she needs a month after losing her parents and finding out that her birth parents orchestrated the whole thing.” Alaric said, but Jenna waived off his concerns for his ex-stepdaughter’s wellbeing.

“As much as I would love to keep things simple this year, I can’t. While any normal person would think, ‘Gee, they probably need some space to mourn and shouldn’t have any social obligations for a while,' the Founding Families of Mystic Falls aren’t like that, the Fells and the Lockwoods specifically. The first thing Damon and I ever agreed on, outside of how much we love our family, is that Mystic Falls’ society is literally the worst. The only thing I can do to make this easier on everyone is to do what we’ve done every year except for last year: we’ll have one party, on Saturday, for both Damon and Elena.” explained Jenna, and the vampire hunter sighed.

“I suppose you’re right, Jen, but is it possible to plan a party in a week or less?” he asked, and the blonde laughed.

“You’ve met Caroline before, but have you seen her at work? She’s been planning this party since the day we got back from Disney World, and she’s already agreed to have Stefan swing by her house on their way back from that farmer’s market Damon sent them to this morning to grab her binders for me.” she said, pausing to sober up before continuing. “I just hope they don’t hate me too much once we tell them about the party.”

“We could never hate you, Jenna.” Damon said, making both humans jump. “What we hate is there always being someone to show up whenever we get a moment alone. It’s like a running gag on a sitcom at this point.”

“I’ll make sure that there’s a bourbon pecan crunch cake, and he’ll be on his best behavior.” Elena said somewhat teasingly, playfully swatting Damon on the shoulder.

“You’re really not mad about having a birthday party this soon after…well, everything?” her aunt asked, and she shook her head.

“Damon and I were just talking about postponing our honeymoon until the excitement over us being here fizzles out because someone would notice that we’re both gone and put two and two together to get four. Given the way this town is, I think the two of us can agree to having this party on a few conditions.” the doppelgänger said.

“What conditions?” Jenna asked, a smile quirking at the corners of her mouth.

“First, Jeremy will be entirely your responsibility from the time the party ends Saturday night until Tuesday morning because we want the house to ourselves for a while.” Elena said, not hiding her smile at all as she leaned into Damon’s side.

“Second, don’t fight Elena and me on the cake. This is our thing, we do it every year, and we don’t want that to change.” Damon added, his arm sliding around her shoulders as he spoke.

“Lastly, Ric, please kiss Jenna in front of Logan Fell at least once at the party!” Elena told them, and the human couple blushed.

“Seriously, if the guy doesn’t stop acting like I’m dating Jenna, I might backslide into my more homicidal tendencies and kill him.” Damon said, looking over at Jenna with a mischievous expression on his face. “Thank God, your taste in men has vastly improved from high school.”

“You’re not wrong, and you’ve got yourselves a deal.” Jenna said with a chuckle.

Caroline, as Jenna had said, did indeed bring two thick binders with her when she and Stefan returned. She’d been planning for multiple scenarios for her two best friends’ birthday party for almost a year, and she had the ideas to prove it. Elena and Jenna sat with her at the kitchen island, going through the binders while Damon and Stefan taught Alaric and Jeremy how to cook eggplant parmesan. The idea in Caroline’s Big Book that stuck out the most to Elena, and the one she thought Damon would like best, was a themed party. A Black and Gold Ball sounded like enough to appease Mystic Falls society, and any reason for Elena to wear what she deemed as a fancy dress was usually a good idea by Damon’s standards.

“It’s also probably the second-simplest party we could throw under the current circumstances.” Caroline pointed out when Elena mentioned that scenario and what she liked most about it. “That only leaves one real question for me to ask: who’s credit card is paying for all this?”

“Here, take mine.” Stefan said as he took his credit card from his wallet and passed it to her. “As they’re my brother and sister-in-law and I’ve missed several birthdays, I should probably pay up at some point.”

“Dude, I know you guys have money, but you better have a lot because I’ve seen _Klaus_ cry over a credit card statement after letting Care plan a party.” Jeremy said with a snicker, and Stefan shrugged, unconcerned.

“It’ll be okay.” he said, and Damon snorted.

“She could spend every penny in your bank account, and you’d still love her.” he mumbled to where only he, Elena, and Stefan could hear.

“I never said anything about loving her.” Stefan said just as quietly, eyeing his brother suspiciously, and Elena vamped around the island to smack her husband lightly on the back of his head.

“Are you guys talking where we can’t hear you again? That gets super annoying.” Caroline said, glancing between the three of them.

“You don’t live with it twenty-four/seven.” Jeremy pointed out with a snort, and Jenna agreed.

“You and Ric have only been around this for a little bit compared to us, and we have to live with it all the time.” she said, and Elena rolled her eyes.

“For people who’ve known me my whole life, you sure are acting like I’ve actually been using this ability longer than six months.” she told them, and both looked at one another in confusion.

“It’s only been six months?” Jenna asked.

“Yeah, because I only found Isobel’s paper and realized that I could do this back in October, and I only tried for the first time in November.” Elena answered, confused as well. “Why?”

“Lena, you and Damon have entire conversations that we never hear all the time, and you’ve done this for as long as I can remember, even before you fell down the stairs.” Jeremy said, looking at the two in mild alarm. “We’ve all always thought that you two were having actual conversations that we just couldn’t hear because of how softly you were speaking, but if you’ve only been doing this for six months…”

“It’s probably just part of our bond.” Damon said, not nearly as concerned as Jenna or Jeremy about it. “It’s not as much having a conversation without speaking as it is instinctively knowing what the other person wants or needs at any given moment.”

“An example would be how, the night he proposed to me, Damon poured me a glass of wine before dinner despite me normally not drinking until dinner is on the table because he knew how agitated my nerves were after I’d compelled the woman at the grocery store after I saw her getting a little too handsy with him for either of our likings.” Elena added, pushing herself up onto the countertop beside the coffee pot. “I never said anything about still not being okay or anything, and I was trying my best to keep him from realizing how much what’d happened had bothered me, but he still knew.”

“Likewise, it wasn’t until Elena called me out on burying my feelings that I actually realized that I’d been doing that at all and allowed myself to mourn Grayson and Miranda; she could tell that I was hurting even with as much as I tried acting like knowing that it would happen had somehow lessened the pain, and her telling me that it was okay to cry was exactly what I needed to hear. Anyone know who covered us up with a blanket that night?” Damon asked, and Jeremy nodded.

“It was Klaus.” the human teenage boy said. “He told me that he’d found you guys asleep when he went to let you know that we were leaving for Richmond.”

“I told you that he doesn’t hate you.” Elena said, swinging her legs gently.

“Dude, you married his only descendant that not only isn’t scared of but also loves him, and you lived to tell the tale. The other day, he told John that you’re the only person who doesn’t carry the Mikaelson name that he fully trusts with Elena, excluding the one sibling he’s never trusted to begin with, and he made you the Lead Security Strategist because he actually trusts you with more than just Elena.” Stefan pointed out, chuckling. “Once the Faction comes back to town for the vote after Elena’s birthday, you’ll effectively be a prince and a member of King Niklaus’ inner circle. You’re so far from being someone Klaus hates that it’s honestly a more than a little funny that you’d think he doesn’t absolutely see you as his grandson or whatever.”

“Did Klaus give you some official role?” Caroline asked, looking from Damon and Elena to Stefan.

“I’m the Assistant Lead Researcher, answering only to Elijah with whatever I find, as well as being a part of the combat training team in the event we actually need to train a group of people in combat very suddenly.” Stefan told her. “Bex wants my help on this research project that she’s got going on, but Kol says they need permission to involve me first.”

“Are the two of you picking up where you left off now that you’re in the same place again?” she asked, neither her nor Stefan realizing that the others had all stopped to stare at their exchange.

“Me and Bex? No, that’s long over for us. With her not being sure if she still has feelings for Marcel, me trying to figure out what’s been going on with me ever since I came home, and all that’s happened since the wedding, we both decided that it’s not a good idea to even think about getting back together…ever.” the younger vampire said. “Besides, even if my head wasn’t so screwed up right now and I did think about getting back with Bex, there’s not a doubt in my mind that Lexi would kick my ass. Mine and Bex’s relationship goes back to my party days, and I’m not allowed to do that without someone there who can and will actually stop me from drinking human blood.”

“Wait, what do you mean by your head’s screwed up and has been since you came home?” she asked, concern evident in her tone, and he shrugged.

“It’s nothing, Care, I’ve just been abnormally anxious and lonely lately. I don’t know where it’s coming from, especially when it happened when I went to the movies with Damon and Jeremy the other day, and I’m sure it’ll go away once I’ve settled a bit more.” Stefan said, not seeing the look Damon shared with Elena.

After dinner that night, the seven of them moved from the dining room to the library where, the night before, Damon had set up the Salvatores’ brand new television and DVD player. With everyone sitting in pairs except for himself, Jeremy dramatically lamented about being alone until Caroline told him that Bonnie had been asking about him if he wanted to seriously consider asking the young witch out on a date; Damon encouraged this, reminding his baby brother that there would be no need to hide the true nature of their extended family from Bonnie with her already knowing the truth. The teenager said that he would think about it as they all settled in for an after-dinner movie. It ended up being Elena who picked, and Jeremy barely resisted the urge to groan as the opening credits for _Dirty Dancing_ appeared on the screen. He’d almost been ready to declare it a miracle when “She’s Like the Wind,” had finished playing and Damon and Elena hadn’t moved from where they’d curled up together on the couch he’d had his back against; he hadn’t sat through the movie with them without them doing the dance numbers before, even sometimes joining in himself along with Caroline, Jenna, his parents, and the two elder Mikaelson brothers, and he thought this viewing might actually be non-on-screen dancing free. Than, Alaric opened his mouth.

“I wonder how difficult it actually is to learn the final number.” he said, and Jeremy did groan at this.

“Don’t do it!” he pleaded, though his chuckling gave away the fact that he wasn’t entirely upset.

“Do what?” Alaric asked, confused.

“Not you, Ric.” Jeremy said. “I was talking to the lovebirds, and you’ll see why in a sec.”

As Johnny and Baby prepared to dance on-screen, Damon pulled Elena to her feet and stood with her just to the left of the television so that both they and the movie could be seen at the same time. They were perfectly in sync with the characters of Johnny and Baby, and Alaric noticed, watching them closely, that Damon even kissed Elena on the nose the way Johnny did the same to Baby in the movie. What surprised him, however, wasn’t their dancing. Rather, it had been Jenna, Caroline, and Jeremy jumping up to join the pair as the dance chorus while Damon imitated Johnny’s spins and knee-turns. It was obvious to Stefan and himself that they’d done this before, and it was only with a slight tinge of sadness that they both realized that Grayson and Miranda, likely along with Elijah and Klaus, had been a part of this as well. When they did the lift, Alaric couldn’t keep from laughing aloud. He was impressed, no doubt about it, and he knew that there wasn’t honestly a lot of acting going into the performance by the time it got to Damon singing the song to Elena while they swayed in one another’s arms. As the credits rolled, Stefan joined him in clapping.

“Why do I get the sneaking suspicion that we were the only ones who didn’t know this was gonna happen?” Stefan asked Alaric jokingly, and Caroline’s giggles were the first sounds to permeate the air in response.

“I knew this was gonna happen when I saw how Elena was dressed when we got back.” she said, sinking down onto the couch beside the teenage vampire. “She only ever wears the pink skirt with the matching heels when she plans on doing this dance, and I’m always Penny when we do the training sequence.”

“I knew the second I realized what movie we were watching. Like I said in the kitchen, I have to live with this twenty-four/seven.” Jeremy stated, and Damon smirked.

“Not tonight, you don’t. When Jenna and Ric leave for the mansion, you’re going with them so she can take you to pick out the furniture for your room tomorrow. We’re staying here, so you get a night without us. Enjoy it while you still can, baby bro, because you signed your life over to Jenna and me jointly of your own free will.” he said teasingly, and Jeremy sent a half-glare towards at the older of the two vampires while the younger gave him a sympathetic pat on the shoulder.

“Don’t worry, Jer, he mellows out after a while.” Stefan insisted, but the youngest of the brothers didn’t feel very reassured by this.

After another hour or so, Jenna and Alaric decided that it was getting late and that they and Jeremy needed to get going. The teenager only half-griped about going with them, but he knew how much his sister and brother-in-law needed a night to themselves. He also knew that they were finally going to tell Stefan and Caroline about the bond between the younger Salvatore and the blonde human, and he knew that it would be best if he wasn’t around for any of that discussion. Originally, he’d asked if he could be there to record the pair’s reactions for both Kol and posterity, but after Damon told him about some of the things he and Elena would have to talk about when discussing things with Stefan and Caroline, Jeremy understood exactly why he wouldn’t want to be there. Instead of hanging back, he asked Damon to tell Stefan that he’d be there if he need someone to talk to who was, more or less, and outsider to the situation as someone without a bond of his own.

Stefan noticed the look that Damon and Jeremy shared as the younger boy left the boarding house with Jenna and Alaric, but he kept quiet as Damon asked if anyone wanted a drink. Elena didn’t answer, but he brought her a glass of wine anyway. Stefan got his own drink, and Caroline said that she intended on sticking to her soda as her mother would likely be there soon after she got home and had already gotten one bartender at the Mystic Grill fired for serving her and Bonnie alcohol.

“Liz didn’t say anything about technical minors being served alcohol when Elena had a rum and Coke with her lunch the other day at the Grill with you, me, and Klaus?” Stefan pointed out with mild confusion clear in his tone.

“ _Yeah_ , that’s because Liz knows why Elena drinks.” Damon said, drawing out the first word of his sentence and scratching the back of his neck nervously as he sat down beside his wife with his bourbon in hand.

“There’s a reason?” Stefan asked. “I didn’t know people needed a reason to drink.”

“Laugh all you want, Stef, but alcohol is the one thing that’s kept me from ripping your brother’s clothes off every time I’ve seen him for the last month.” Elena remarked, and Stefan blinked.

“What?” he asked in disbelief while Caroline choked on her soda beside him.

“It’s a side-effect of our bond.” Damon explained. “One lust feeds the other, and, with how little Elijah was actually able to get on his last blood bank run given that it all has to be split between five vampires so that the four of them don’t have to hunt as often and I can’t hunt at all the way I used to, having blood bags rationed at the moment hasn’t been easy. Since I don’t hunt like a normal vampire anymore, Elena and I have been feeding on each other to supplement the blood bags for me while ensuring that she heals; with the bond, she knows when I need to feed before I do, and my bloodlust starts to kick in if I let it go for too long. That lust feeds into the other type of lust, and she feels that too.”

“Yeah, but if you’ve been feeding on her, wouldn’t that hurt? Wouldn’t she want to not let you use her to satisfy your overpowering lusts?” Caroline asked, regaining her composure, and Damon laughed loudly while Stefan grimaced.

“You weren’t able to hear us when we were upstairs after dealing with John on the day of the funeral, but Stef was and probably heard things he didn’t want to know. _I_ stopped _Elena_ from initiating sex because, with how strong our mutual bloodlust had been, I knew that even you would’ve heard us had we kept going.” Damon admitted, and Caroline wrinkled her nose in displeasure.

“Because alcohol can sometimes curb our bloodlust, it can also curb Elena’s.” Stefan reasoned, and Damon nodded.

“Elijah and Kol have a few more blood bank raids planned for the next couple of weeks, so this should slow down once I have a steady supply of blood bags again.” he told them, but the other pair was still confused.

“Why don’t you hunt normally anymore?” Stefan asked.

“He never has, not for as long as I’ve known him, and I think it has to do with Elena and her nightmare-visions. The part that I don’t see why we’re getting so much graphic detail about their sex life.” Caroline replied, and Elena took a large drink of wine to keep from laughing at her friend’s words while Damon merely nodded.

“Hunting, either in my former method of finding a girl and feeding on her during sex or Lexi’s catch-and-release method, quit being an option when I moved in with the Gilberts.” the eldest Salvatore sibling explained. “The first of Elena’s powers from her witch side to show itself was her visions, as Caroline mentioned, and they’ve always manifested as nightmares. Because she’d seek me out whenever they occurred, I made it a point to never have another person, in my bed. Going out to do catch-and-release hunts was out of the question because I couldn’t leave Elena or Jeremy without protection once they started carrying my scent, and it was almost immediate for Elena because she claimed me as hers the day I moved in and hasn’t left my side very often since. The blood bags that Grayson would bring home were enough to sustain me, though, and I hadn’t actually drank from the vein myself until last Halloween.”

“You were exclusively on blood bags until Halloween? What happened?” Stefan asked, clearly impressed with how long his brother had abstained from hunting. “Something major would’ve had to have happened to make you go back to the vein, because you never commit to anything by halves.”

“I got cornered by two unfriendly vamps outside the club where Uncle Elijah had dragged us and Grand-Klaus to for a Halloween party. They thought I was Katherine, and I got a few scrapes during the altercation that Damon knew I was trying to hide. When we got home, he had me feed from him to stop the bleeding, my blood’s clotting factor being next to nonexistent without his blood in my system, and I knew that I’d gotten close to taking too much. He hadn’t fed in a few days himself, so I told him to feed on me. He was against it, but I knew it was perfectly safe because I’d been reading Isobel’s research after finding her published papers online.” Elena explained, setting her wine glass down on the coffee table as she spoke. “Aunt Bex’s theory about vampires potentially being predisposition to have soulmate bonds because of doppelgänger blood being what turned the Originals comes from what I showed her of Isobel’s research. When a vampire feeds on their mate, as Isobel had no idea about soulmate bonds and the like when she wrote the paper, there is no pain; the mate’s body absorbs the blood as its own and can cause a dependency if said mate is still human. The effects caused by the influx of blood is similar to that of blood doping, except that there’s no risk of embolism or stroke; if the human mate becomes too dependent on the vampire’s blood, then the human starts becoming something called a dhampir, half-human and half-vampire. Dhampir are mortals with vampire powers and abilities, and the way they use their abilities is directly linked to the vampire whose blood turned them into the hybrid creature they’ve become; due to his strength in mental powers, as well as my being a direct genetic descendant of Klaus, my mental powers are just as strong as Damon’s despite my age. I’m not the first person that this has happened to, and this gives Aunt Bex’s theory some credence. The reason we’re telling the two of you is because you guys are the first who would benefit from whatever information we find out about our bond and what else could happen to us.”

“Why would we benefit?” Stefan asked, but Damon and Elena both saw the realization dawn in Caroline’s eyes.

“With his being an addict, what would happen if Stefan fed on me?” she asked them, and Stefan turned in surprise as the realization started to wash over him.

“Care, he can’t physically or emotionally hurt you without hurting himself. The stronger the bond becomes, the more you start to feel what the other person feels; Stef’s been feeling _your_ anxiety and loneliness for a while now, so you’re further along than you probably thought. Once their pain literally becomes your pain, it doesn’t take much for you to never want them to experience _any_ pain ever again.” Damon said, pausing in thought before continuing. “That being said, you should wait a bit before you even think about starting the process. Elena and I had four years of friendship before she ever fed from me, and it was a total of twelve years before I ever fed on her. I’m not an addict, and I had trouble stopping the first time I tasted her blood because, when it’s your soulmate’s blood coating your tongue and throat, the taste is the best thing you’ve ever had and you want as much of it as you can get. I’d compare it to having drank Maker’s Mark for most of your life before finally getting a taste of Old Rip Van Winkle.”

“I’d kill her, wouldn’t I?” Stefan asked, running a hand over his face.

“If you bit into Care’s throat right now, oh yeah. After a couple of months or so, you might be able to try it with supervision.” Damon told him, but his brother raised a disbelieving eyebrow.

“You just said that it took twelve years before you’d feed on Elena.” he said, and his brother nodded.

“Yeah, but that wasn’t a conscious choice for me. Elena was four when we first met, and it wasn’t anywhere near the foreground of my mind to feed on a child. As she got older and I knew she was getting closer to finding out about vampires and the rest, I was scared to even drink bagged blood poured into a glass in front of her because of what I thought she’d think of me. The only reason I fed on her when I did was because she asked me to, and I have zero resistance against her puppy-dog pout.” Damon said, taking a drink as Elena curled into his side.

“Until this past month, he’s been reluctant to feed on me altogether. After Halloween, even when I fed from him, Damon didn’t feed on me again until Christmas night.” she said. “He keeps saying that he doesn’t wanna turn me into a walking blood bag, but what he neglects to understand is that I’m offering to do for him what he does for me already.”

“Wait, what about…the thing that I can’t say because Stefan’s here and doesn’t know?” Caroline asked. “Would that apply to me too?”

“We’re still looking into it, but potentially.” Damon answered, and the blonde smiled.

“If it is possible, that would be amazing.” Caroline mused, and Elena agreed. “Then you’d be able to hold up your end of the deal, too, Lena.”

“What are you talking about that I don’t know?” Stefan asked, and his brother and sister-in-law shared a glance.

“We can’t tell you right now, but we’ll tell you when we have Kol or Bex here to compel you to keep it to yourself outside the two of them, Klaus, and the four of us.” Damon told him. “Kol and Bex blabbed to Klaus, and Care knows because we felt she needed to know at the time, and she allowed me to compel her to be unable to say anything specific about it to anyone we hadn’t both told her that she could.”

“It’s nothing bad, Stef, we promise, just…personal. It’s something we need to find the answers to ourselves, but we would be happy to include you in our research once we know that no one can force the information out of you.” Elena added, and her brother-in-law nodded in understanding.

“That’s fine. If Kol has to compel me, I’ll let him. As the Assistant Lead Researcher to the Crown, it makes sense for me to be involved even if I wasn’t potentially able to benefit from whatever it is you’re looking into here.” Stefan said. “If Caroline was willingly compelled, I can be, too.”

After about another hour, Caroline let out a yawn. Stefan chuckled and asked if she was ready to go home. She gave him a tired, sleepy smile while nodding, and he helped her to her feet. She said her goodbyes to Damon and Elena, and the two disappeared upstairs before she and Stefan had even made it out to her car.

“You’re coming home with me, right, Stef?” she asked as she retrieved her key from her purse. 

“Do you want me to, Care?” he replied, and she rolled her eyes.

“I didn’t just fake being tired so we could leave for you to stay here and get traumatized by their inability to keep their hands off one another; looks like the acting classes my dad paid for _are_ actually worth something.” she pointed out, and he chuckled as they got into the car.

“If you’re not tired, then what’re we gonna do at your place?” he asked, and her face brightened.

“Well, my mom won’t be home for a little while longer, and I’ve got a recipe for alcoholic fudge we could try?” she offered with excitement, and he agreed without hesitation. “Great, because I’ve been waiting to try this one out for a while.”

The drive back to the Forbes home went on in silence for a few minutes, but then Stefan’s ears perked up as he heard a familiar song come on the radio. Caroline had left it on a variety station earlier in the day because she knew he liked some of the music from the 80s and 90s better and would sing along if he were in a good enough mood. The song that played then, while originally older than Caroline, was one he’d loved nearly every version of it that had been made to that point. He couldn’t help but sing softly as Caroline drove along the darkened road, and she couldn’t help but listen as he did so.

“I know you haven't made your mind up yet/But I would never do you wrong/I've known it from the moment that we met/There's no doubt in my mind where you belong…” his tone was gentle and tender, and the blonde smiled as she remembered waking up that morning in the boarding house with Stefan trying to sneak out of her room before she saw him.

She’d heard stories from Damon about his younger brother, and most of them hadn’t been pretty. The times that Stefan had lost control and ended up on a Ripper binge, he’d killed countless innocent women and children in a truly brutal, animalistic fashion. He’d slaughtered an entire town before, but none of that had crossed Caroline’s mind when she’d woken to see him standing in her room. For all that she had been told that he was easily more dangerous that Damon simply due to his addiction problems, the Stefan that she had encountered that morning was nothing like she’d imagined. The Stefan that she’d met had been anxious and panicky, yet sweet and bashful all the same. He had gone through her things, yes, but he’d apologized for it. He’d stayed in Mystic Falls because she’d asked him to, and he’d apologized for worrying her when he didn’t answer her phone calls five times in a row. Between having had zero contact with Bonnie outside an instance here or there at school for almost four months and her mom and Matt’s work schedules, Stefan had become her best and closest friend. She trusted him, and she knew now that she always could.

When they got to her house, she got to work gathering all the necessary ingredients in the kitchen while Stefan turned the living room stereo on and tuned it to the same station they’d been listening to in the car. A random 90s pop song was playing as they got to work, and the process started with Caroline telling Stefan to pour the bag of chocolate chips into the bowl she’d gotten out and melt them in the microwave according to the instructions on the bag.

“This recipe isn’t exactly complicated.” the vampire said as he took the bowl of melted chocolate from the microwave a few minutes later.

“The toughest part about making fudge is having the patience to let it rest without saying, ‘Fuck it,’ and turning it into chocolate pudding.” the human replied, making him chuckle while faking a scandalized expression.

“Miss Forbes, the sheriff’s daughter shouldn’t use such foul language! Whatever would your mother say?” he teased as he walked over to her with the bowl, and she giggled.

“Forget about my language, Mr. Salvatore. What will my mother say when she realizes I used her whiskey to make this batch of fudge?” she asked as she poured the measured-out portions of sweetened condensed milk, vanilla extract, and Jack Daniels whisky into the bowl with the melted chocolate and began to stir.

“Will she be cross?” Stefan asked, the smile on his face the only thing keeping Caroline from believing him to be asking in earnest.

“Only if the fudge doesn’t taste right.” she told him. “If it’s bad, at least I know I’ve got a brave vampire to protect me.”

“Always, angel, but…you do realize that your mom has a gun with wooden bullets, right?” he asked, this time more serious, and she nodded.

“Yeah, but I also know that she wouldn’t kill you because that’d mean explaining to Damon why she murdered his little brother.” Caroline said, pausing in her mixing to smile over at him before continuing. “I like it when you call me that; it makes me feel special.”

“You are special, angel, and not just because we’re apparently soulmates.” Stefan said as he lined the baking dish she’d laid out with aluminum foil. “You’re special because you’re unapologetically you, Caroline Elizabeth Forbes, and won’t let anyone force you to be someone you’re not.”

“Hey, wait a minute, I just realized that I don’t know your middle name. You got mine from my driver’s license, but I don’t know yours!” she said, and he chuckled.

“Okay, I owe you that one. It’s Antonio, Stefan Antonio Salvatore.” he told her. “My mother fought for our first names to not be overtly Italian, even going as far as to give Damon the French spelling of his name, but Father was who decided on our middle names. I was named after my grandfather, Nonno Antonio, just like Damon was named after Nonna Francesca.”

“You were close with your grandmother. I can tell by the way you say her name.” Caroline noted while pouring the batter into the now-lined baking dish.

“When Mother was ill, Nonna took care of Damon and me so that Father could go about his business without worrying after us. Nonno had died before I was born, and Nonna was happy to have something to occupy her time, so we spent almost all day, every day with her. She’s who taught us to cook even though Father had originally forbade it; at the time, cooking was for servants and women, and Father felt like it made us less manly to learn. He only stopped interfering when Nonna reminded him of how important food is in Italian culture and threatened to hit him in upside his head with her cast-iron skillet. She was the only woman Father was ever truly afraid of, and I think the day after her funeral was the day he really started trying to drive a wedge between me and my brother.” Stefan said, a sad ghost of a smile appearing on his face. “Without Nonna to protect us, we were at his mercy.”

“I’d say his karma got him just the way it should have, then. For everything he did to both you and Damon, you shouldn’t feel any guilt over killing him, Stefan.” the blonde said as she covered the baking dish with more foil.

“You know about that?” he asked, and she nodded.

“Damon told me all about Katherine and what led to the two of you turning over Thanksgiving break. He wanted to warn me, about you and her, because of Elena’s visions. Like I told you before, I’m the human sister just as Jeremy’s the human brother, and Damon is the most overprotective big brother I ever could’ve ended up having.” Caroline said, chuckling. “He told me all the Stefan Salvatore Horror Stories he has in his mental vault, but I didn’t feel afraid of you when he told me. When you’re in control, you’re fine; it’s when you fall off the wagon that there’s a definite problem, and you’re not gonna fall off the wagon unless something major happens. The important part is to have someone there to help you through it when you struggle with the urges and cravings.”

“I don’t think I’ve ever heard someone admit to having that much faith in me before, angel. Thank you.” Stefan said after a moment passed between them in silence.

“You’re very welcome.” she told him as she set the covered dish on the counter beside the coffee maker.

“Well, now the fudge has to set for a while, right? What do we do next?” he asked when she turned back towards him.

“Do you wanna watch a movie with me, Mr. Salvatore?” she asked, and he grinned.

“I’d love to, Miss Forbes.” he replied, and she led him over to the couch where he sat while she put in a DVD of her choosing, a smile forming on his face as he saw the main menu for _Hope Floats_ appear on screen.

The movie’s end credits were rolling when Liz walked through the door, and she followed the sound of someone singing to her living room where she found Caroline swaying in the middle of the room with Stefan in a version of slow-dancing as he sang to her. The sheriff felt like she was intruding on an incredibly intimate moment, and half of her wanted to quietly slip off to her bedroom without disturbing the pair. The other, Mom™ half, however, wanted to know what was going on with them. Her daughter appeared far closer to the younger Salvatore brother than Liz had known, and she remembered the things Damon had said about his brother not that long ago at the Gilberts’ beach house.

“There ain't nothing that I wouldn't do/Go to the ends of the earth for you/Make you happy, make your dreams come true/To make you feel my love…” but the man singing to her daughter in that moment wasn’t the monster mad with bloodlust that his brother had painted, Liz noted.

“Don’t go.” she heard Caroline say pleadingly to him, getting a sigh in response.

“Angel, I don’t think your mom would be comfortable with me staying now that she’s home.” Stefan replied. “I don’t wanna go anymore than you want me to, but we’ve already mentioned once tonight how your mom has everything she needs to kill me.”

“But, what if you get back to the boarding house only to find that they’re still going at it?” Caroline asked, and he chuckled. “We wouldn’t want you scarred for life or anything.”

“I’ll go to the mansion and see if I can help Kol and Bex with their research if Damon and Elena aren’t asleep yet. I’ll text you wherever I end up, and I’ll come back in the morning once you’ve had sleep and the fudge has had time to set.” he told her, and she sighed as her head dropped onto his shoulder.

“I feel like I should be able to call cosmic bullshit. Elena’s rarely ever been apart from her soulmate the entire twelve, almost thirteen years they’ve known one another, but I’m always having to let mine go.” Caroline said, and Liz gasped inwardly at her daughter’s words. “This isn’t fair.”

“It’s not, I know, but I’d rather us be apart for a few hours at a time than run the risk of your mom revoking my invitation or worse.” Stefan reasoned, and Caroline nodded.

“You’re right, I admit it, but that doesn’t mean that I have to like it.” she told him, then a smile crept onto her face. “I also only have to put up with it for a few months. That gives you time to start cleaning your room and ridding it of all things Katherine Pierce related.”

“Most of her stuff is already out of there, angel. I gave a lot of it to Klaus to put in storage until she inevitably shows up again, that way she can sort through it on her own.” he said, smiling back at her. “But, I will concede that I do tend to hold onto things I don’t necessarily need. Damon loves cleaning, so I’ll see if he’s willing to help me put some of my stuff in storage so that my room doesn’t look like a complete disaster. I do have to leave if I’m gonna do that, though.”

“Do I at least get a good-night kiss?” she asked half-teasingly.

“Are you ready for that step?” he asked. “It hasn’t even been a full month since you broke up with Matt and swore that it had nothing to do with me.”

“I didn’t know, at least consciously, that you’re my literal soulmate when I broke up with Matt, and I’ve wanted to kiss you since you started singing in the car on the way here.” Caroline told him, and he grinned.

“Well, in that case,” Stefan said as he placed a soft kiss, chaste kiss on her lips, “goodnight, Miss Forbes.”

“Goodnight, Mr. Salvatore.” she replied before returning his kiss with one of her own. “I’ll see you in the morning.”

Stefan slipped out the back door, seeing as how he would be running back to the boarding house, and Caroline sighed to herself as she locked up behind him. Turning around, she saw her mother standing in the doorway and gave a start. Liz looked to still be in shock, so Caroline was cautious in her approach.

“Mom, are you okay?” she asked.

“Soulmates?” was the only thing Liz could manage.

“Damon and Elena just told us tonight. Since Stefan’s a doppelgänger himself, we knew it was a possibility for him to have a soulmate. We just didn’t know that it was me.” Caroline explained.

“How long have you two known each other, then, because it certainly looks like longer than a month.” Liz asked, and Caroline looked down as she replied.

“He snuck back into the boarding house before sunrise on Valentine’s Day looking for Damon and Elena, but, unknown to us, our bond drew him to me instead. I woke up and caught him trying to leave without waking me, and we talked for a while. He’s been in town ever since, and he’s usually here with me when you and, until the party, Matt have been working since Bonnie had cut me off in January and only apologized to me last month.” she explained to her mother. “He’s become my best friend, and I know in my heart that I love him. Stefan may be far from a perfect person, but he’s still perfect for me.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Well, sweets, who didn't see that one coming? Stefan and Caroline really are adorable when they want to be, and they decided that they wanted to be at the end of this chapter. Until next time, sweets...XOXO


	16. A Pulsatio Longe Auferetur Est Nimis

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "It's gonna be a long, hot summer, we should be together/With your feet up on the dashboard now/Singin' along with the radio, it's such a beautiful sound/And when you say my name in the middle of the day/I swear I see the stars come out/When you hold my hand in the back of my mind/I'm just waitin' on the sun to go down, the sun to go down..."  
> -"Long Hot Summer," by Keith Urban

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Okay, sweets, this is going to be the last chapter before the canon events start appearing (sans Grayson and Miranda's deaths). This chapter will cover the events of summer 2009, and I hope you enjoy it.

Caroline said nothing further to Liz on the subject of her relationship with Stefan and occupied her time over the following days by throwing herself into planning Damon and Elena’s party. Though she was doing her job with the same degree of dedication that she always did, she was decidedly using party planning to avoid her mother. Additionally, she’d been spending nearly all of her free time at the boarding house with Stefan; it wasn’t long before he’d gotten her to admit to him what was wrong. Her worries over Liz revoking Stefan’s invitation and forbidding their relationship hadn’t subsided in the least, and Caroline was certain that she wouldn’t be able to handle it if her mother did decide to do just that. He’d told her not to worry too much about Liz, that her mother would be happy for them once she and Caroline had talked, but Caroline continued putting off talking to Liz by going with Elena and Rebekah to Charlottesville on Thursday to buy new outfits for the party. Before she’d gone, Stefan had made her a wager: if Liz was truly happy for them, and he’d already promised to not involve compulsion of any sort from anyone, then Caroline would wear green to the Back-to-School Bonfire despite thinking it to be the color that she looked worst in overall; if Liz wasn’t happy, Caroline could move into the boarding house on her birthday.

She told Elena about this as they made the drive back from Charlottesville, Rebekah having left her bags with them before going out hunting, and Elena privately thought that Caroline had taken a sucker’s bet. Stefan’s win was almost certain in her mind, and she knew that her brother-in-law had never considered not having Caroline move in with him at the first opportunity. Thinking of her own mother’s happy-tears during her bridal appointment almost seven months earlier, Elena knew that Liz was mostly still processing the fact that her baby wasn’t a baby anymore.

“Your mom’s feelings about your and Stefan aside, how _are_ you and Stefan doing?” she asked the blonde while reaching into the open bag of gummy bears sitting in the cupholder between them, balanced between their bottled sodas. “I know you’ve spent every night this week at the boarding house instead of going home, so I’m assuming that things are good.”

“Everything between us is great.” Caroline answered, smiling softly as she spoke. “I mean, it’s been five months since we started hanging out because everyone else I had in town had abandoned me, more or less, and when we’re together, it feels like I’m with my best friend...who I also think is really hot and that I’m also definitely in love with so completely that it’s honestly a little scary that I actually feel this way about another person.”

“I understand those types of feelings all too well, Care, and probably better than anyone else save for Damon and Stefan themselves.” Elena told her. “Remember what I said to Damon in my wedding vows? The thought of not having him in my life scares the shit out of me because I can’t comprehend having a future without him. Especially since he told me about Rachel’s vision, I don’t think I could continue on with life if anything happened to him.”

“I get that, really, and I had a thought this morning that terrified me to my core. Stef was still asleep, by some miracle, and I had a few minutes where everything was quiet; I realized that I never loved Matt, not in the romantic sense. I mean, I knew that I wasn’t in love with him months ago, but it hit me this morning that I _never_ loved him the way that you’re _supposed_ to love your partner. Of all the things that Stefan makes me feel, I don’t think I did feel any of it with Matt. I’m having trouble understanding my feelings beyond that, though. I know that I love him, not a single doubt about that, but I’ve never felt a love this intense and I have no idea what I’m supposed to do with my feelings. I’ve never needed to be as physically close to someone as I’ve felt like I’ve needed to be with Stefan.” she replied, and the brunette nodded in understanding.

“The need for physical closeness is one of the first things to happen when you’ve acknowledged the bond. After Damon and I decided on having Sheila solidify our bond, we moved all of my stuff into his room because I was going to sleep in my own bed at the start of the night, waking up a few hours in, and only going back to sleep after crawling into his bed with him. Aunt Bex described our bond as being like a gravitational pull between me and him, and that’s what it can feel like when everything only feels right when I’m either lying in his arms while we fall asleep or sitting on the countertop as close as I can to where he’s standing while cooking. It’s like there’s this hum, this perfect harmony that only exists when we’re near each other.” she said, and the blonde nodded.

“Exactly!” Caroline exclaimed, glad to know that at least one other female understood her. “I swear, there was a literal hum that I heard the other day when Stef was just holding me in his arms and singing to me. I love the way being with him feels, but it does make me worry about school. How did you and Damon handle that?”

“It was tricky at first, but things eased up after the first little while. In the beginning, I’d get distracted in class a lot, but Lessie was able to help by letting me text him once my work was done English class; I’d call him during lunch if things got too bad, and Jeremy did a good job at keeping me focused on non-Damon related things by telling me the day’s gossip while we ate.” Elena admitted, but she was giggling as she continued. “You and Stef get to be at school together, though, and we’ll all be there to make sure that you two don’t end up in any, shall we say, compromising positions in public.”

Caroline attempted to look scandalized by her words, but after having walked in on and overheard Elena and Damon more than once over the previous few months since they’d acknowledged their bond the previous October, she could only giggle along with the brunette. She and Stefan still had a ways to go before they could even think about her feeding on him and vice versa, but she knew that they’d be in trouble if they ended up being anything remotely similar to Damon and Elena when it came to bloodlust-induced sexual escapades. After the last incident two nights prior, Caroline couldn’t wait for Damon to give Elena her birthday present after the party Saturday.

Saturday night arrived quickly, after most of Friday had been devoted to decorating the boarding house, and Damon couldn’t help but be astounded once more by what Caroline had accomplished in such a short amount of time. The DJ was playing a mix of hits from the 80s, 90s, and current decade, and the open bar was a hit even with Liz keeping an eye on who was being served alcohol. Where Caroline had found the disco ball that was currently suspended from the rafters in the parlor, he had no clue, but he was loving every minute of the party atmosphere and was sure to make a mental note to compliment his future sister-in-law’s party planning skills when given the chance. If he knew Caroline about half as well as he felt that he did, Damon was sure that she’d already started planning her own eighteenth birthday party as well as Stefan’s, and Jeremy’s fifteenth birthday would be a collaboration between the kid’s two guardians and Caroline that would undoubtedly feature pumpkin-ricotta zeppole. He’d been successful in avoiding Carol Lockwood so far, managed to hide his cellphone from Klaus after having recorded the hybrid and his siblings all dancing to the Black-Eyed Peas’ “I Gotta Feeling,” and he was content with leaning against the bar with a drink in hand as he watched Elena dancing with Caroline and Bonnie from across the room. Stefan was grumbling beside him about not being able to drink because the human population of Mystic Falls thought him only seventeen, and Jeremy was on his other side grumbling about much the same. Damon rolled his eyes at his brothers and opened his mouth to say something when both suddenly ended up having drinks thrust into their hands by an amused Mia.

“It’s Damon’s birthday party, boys, so don’t make him too miserable.” she said as she hugged her oldest brother and kissed him on the cheek. “Happy belated birthday, Damie.”

“Grazie, tesora.” Damon told her.

“Where’s my sister so I can say the same to her?” Mia asked, and Damon inclined his head towards where the girls were dancing.

“We’re keeping our relationship quiet until we know how Mystic Falls would react, so she’s dancing with her friend Bonnie and our newest sister, Caroline.” he said, glancing at Stefan out of the corner of his eye before continuing. “You remember Caroline, right? Elena’s godsister and maid-of-honor that Stef couldn’t keep his eyes off of during the ceremony and willingly went onto the dancefloor with at the reception?”

“The only woman you’ve ever gone out with who wasn’t blonde was because of a spell…I knew you had a type.” Mia said to Stefan, and the middle Salvatore shrugged.

“I like to think of it more as trying to reach a certain ideal that, until Caroline, didn’t exist.” he said in his own defense, and his sister blinked in surprise as she realized what he wasn’t saying.

“Congratulations, I think.” she responded, smiling widely as the current song ended and the three girls ran over in a fit of giggles. “Happy early birthday, Elena.”

“Thanks, Mia!” Elena told her as she and her two female companions calmed themselves down.

“What’d you overhear, Lena?” Jeremy asked, half-teasing/half eager to hear gossip.

“Carol Lockwood thinks that Mia is Damon’s girlfriend!” Caroline cackled out, and the oldest of the three vampires rolled his eyes. “She saw Mia kiss him on the cheek and ran with it.”

“She wants to talk to Mia as soon as she gets a chance.” Bonnie added, and the youngest vampire sighed.

“Point me to her, and I’ll take care of this. I can’t have everyone in my hometown thinking that I’m dating my brother!” Mia said exasperatedly, and they all pointed out the dark-haired woman in the shimmering gold, one-shoulder blouse and black pants trying to not get caught staring at them. “I’ll catch up with you guys more in a bit!”

Doing a quick survey of the room, Damon reached behind him on the bar before grabbing the glass of wine he’d set aside for Elena and handing it to her. She smiled gratefully as she took a greedy sip, and Caroline pouted beside her. She voiced her opinion on it being unfair that Elena was being allowed alcohol, and Stefan chuckled.

“Do you want a sip of my drink, angel?” he asked her, and she nodded as he handed her the glass. “Mia got Jeremy and me both rum and Coke since it’s the drink least likely to be sniffed out by any of the human adults.”

“Thanks, sweetie.” she said quietly, taking a sip and passing the glass back to him. “Dance with me?”

“You know that I can’t say ‘No,’ angel.” Stefan said as he set his drink on the bar and slipped his hand into hers before following her out onto the dancefloor.

“Didn’t you say that he hates dancing?” Jeremy asked Damon, getting a nod in response.

“He does, but he’d do just about anything to make Caroline happy.” Damon said, eyes cutting over to Elena as she drained her glass of wine. “She is the only thing that matters.”

“And, on that note,” Jeremy said, drawing out the ‘And’ as he turned towards the witch standing in front of him, “would you like to dance, Bonnie?”

“Sure.” Bonnie replied, accepting the hand he offered, and Damon chuckled.

“Did you run my little brother off on purpose?” Elena asked him, and he shrugged noncommittally.

“Maybe I did, or maybe everyone else went to dance leaving us here by ourselves.” he responded, and she giggled as the song changed, her ears perking up at the opening notes of “Bad Romance” by Lady Gaga.

“I love this song!” she chirped, and he knew what she was going to ask before she asked it.

“Then let’s dance, princess.” he told her, setting his drink on the bar beside Stefan’s and Jeremy’s before walking over to where the two other couples were dancing with Elena at his side.

After a few more dances, of which the group switched partners often to temper suspicion, the call for cake and presents was heard. Most of the gifts that Damon and Elena received were impersonal, but they’d expected this much given that they hadn’t done much in the way of socializing with the residents of Mystic Falls over the month that they’d been in town. Gifts from the family were purposefully absent, the excuse given being that Damon and Elena both had opened them earlier in the day, and this had proven a good idea since Kol and Rebekah had both given Elena items for her witch training, and Damon had been gifted a mini-fridge filled with blood bags for the Gilbert house by Klaus and Elijah. Once the cake had been cut and served, it didn’t take long for guest to start leaving, so Elena was happily curled up on the banquet seat of the kitchen table a few hours later with her second slice of bourbon pecan crunch birthday cake that was being shared with Damon.

“I know that next year’s supposed to be a major birthday for me, but I never want another party like this again!” she told him. “The Lockwoods’ drama almost exceeds the Mikaelsons’, and we’re dramatic as hell!”

“Not gonna argue with that.” he said as he stole the last bite of cake for himself. “I did _not_ need to see Vicki Donovan grinding so hard against Tyler Lockwood that they might’ve as well been having sex on the dancefloor, nor did I need to hear Carol Lockwood complaining about it.”

“Well, at least it’s all over now, and we can go back to our reasonably quiet existence for a little bit longer.” Elena said, getting up from the table and padding over to the sink with the plate and two forks in hand. “I’m about ready for a shower. How about you?”

“Actually, there’s still one more present for you, princess.” Damon said, meeting her eyes as she looked over at him while placing the rinsed plate into the dishwasher.

“I opened every present already, even yours.” she said, lifting her right hand to show him the diamond and sapphire ring he’d given her before the party. “I do love it, by the way. It’s not as special as my engagement ring, but being from you makes it special on its own.”

“Yeah, as thrilled as I am that you love the ring so much, that one was a decoy present. The only person who knew about your real present was Care, and that was only because she found the plans.” he said with a slight smirk. “We’ll need to take a bit of a drive to get to it, though.”

“Let me grab my shoes, and I’ll meet you in the garage.” Elena told him, vamping over and pressing a soft kiss to his lips before leaving the room in search of shoes.

* * *

The drive took them back towards the Mikaelson mansion. Elena wondered if her surprise present was at the mansion, but Damon drove past the turn-in for the mansion’s driveway. She looked curiously over at him as he continued to drive around the lake that bordered Klaus’ property, but his eyes never left the road. A few minutes after passing the mansion, Elena’s breath hitched in her throat as Damon turned into the driveway of a two-story, craftsman style house at the end of a driveway as long and winding as the mansion’s. She could see the doors for a three-car garage, and the property seemed to stretch back quite a ways behind the house towards the darkened tree line. He parked the Camaro at the edge of the front walkway and turned to see the amazed look on her face.

“Where are we?” she asked, turning away from the house to meet his gaze, and he smiled.

“We’re home, Elena.” he said. “This is the home where we’ll run away and hide from the rest of the family, and this is the home where we’ll raise our children when the time comes. I started the build shortly after I told you about Rachel’s vision. Happy birthday, princess.”

Too overcome with emotion to form words, Elena pulled Damon into a kiss that told him everything she couldn’t, a kiss filled with every bit of love and happiness she possessed. When they parted, Damon got out of the car and vamped around to her door, opening it for her before she could object. He led her up the path, the only sounds being the faint noise of crickets and of Elena’s golden high heels clicking against the pavement. Stopping at the front door, Damon took his keys from his pocket and unlocked the door.

“Now, a couple of things about our house. First, there’s a spell on the property, held together by five pieces of black tourmaline buried in a circle along the property line anchored to a sixth piece sealed into the wall above the basement door; with this spell, this is a vampire-owned property that acts like one not vampire-owned, so no vamp that we don’t invite onto the property can get passed about halfway down the drive. Second, since it is tradition, perhaps I might carry my bride over the threshold?” he said to her as he opened the door, and she answered with a giggle and a nod.

Gathering her in his arms, Damon pressed a kiss to Elena’s lips while stepping over the threshold into the house. Setting her on her feet in the foyer, Damon locked the front door while Elena began investigating her new house. To her left, she saw an office that, knowing Damon, was set up for her as a writing room painted in the same cream color as the foyer. To her right, there was a formal living room painted a royal blue. In front of her was a hallway that she could see led to a staircase and the family room. Once the door was locked, Damon took Elena’s hand and led her down the hallway and up the stairs. At the top of the stairs, he led her through a second, short hallway and into the master bedroom.

“What about the rest of the house?” she asked half-heartedly, her smile showing exactly how little she cared about seeing the remainder of the house in that moment.

“It’ll be there in the morning.” he told her, smiling flirtatiously at her as she closed the door behind them before pulling her into a longer, more passion-filled kiss than the one in the car.

* * *

Elena woke Sunday morning to the smell of pancakes wafting through the air. Reaching out beside her, she could feel that Damon was no longer in bed, and listening to the noise drifting up from the kitchen told her that he was cooking breakfast. ‘In our new house,’ she added mentally as stretched her limbs. Opening her eyes and seeing a vaguely familiar room, she smiled as the events of the previous night replayed in her mind like a highlight reel. Sitting up slowly, she looked around hers and Damon’s bedroom properly. The walls were a cream color, though a shade or two darker than most of the downstairs walls, and the floor was done in a plush, light tan carpet. There was a dresser directly across from the bed, and a chair sat tucked into the corner across from the door. In it, Elena saw her dress from the party; her last memories of the dress after Damon had unzipped it were of it laying in a pile on the floor along with her high heels that were now tucked under the chair.

Getting up from the bed, Elena went into the master bathroom. There was a clawfoot tub in a corner angled towards the door, and a large shower peeked out from behind the door. The bathroom had His & Hers sinks, she noted, and had fluffy towels on the racks; it was clear that Damon had designed the space in equal parts for both of them, and it solidified for her that this was a place for the two of them to grow their family together and be as normal as they could ever be. Elena smiled as she took everything in, and she did a double-take as she noticed that the countertops were filled with hers and Damon’s things that she hadn’t remembered bringing down from New York. Chuckling to herself, Elena decided that Damon would still be cooking long enough for her to get a shower. While she turned out to be wrong, she wasn’t disappointed when he joined her in the shower after about five minutes of her standing under the refreshingly hot spray.

Exiting the bathroom wrapped in towels, Damon showed Elena a master closet filled with clothes. Filled with their clothes, she noted. While deciding on what to wear, she wondered when he’d done all of this. She voiced her question while he was dressing, and she heard him chuckle before answering.

“After Caroline found out, she was a big help. She went shopping for you earlier this week, part of her trying to stay away from Liz because she’s worried that Stef will get uninvited to the Forbes’ home if Liz is able to confront them about their relationship, and I brought all the things she bought here along with a few boxes of our stuff from New York that Elijah and Lessie brought down when they came back for the party after he went to spend last weekend with her. I wanted it to feel like home for you.” Damon said, vamping up behind her, resting his hands on her waist, and pressing a kiss to her bare shoulder. “I’ll go make sure breakfast is hot when you get downstairs.”

“I’ll be down soon.” Elena told him. “I love you.”

“I love you, too, princess.” he said as he slipped from the room and vamped downstairs.

* * *

Elena never wanted to leave hers and Damon’s new house. She loved every bit of it, and she loved having somewhere where no one else could find them. She knew that they’d eventually tell their family about the house, probably whenever she inevitably got pregnant, but Elena was happy to have one place where she and Damon could just be themselves without having to think about everyone else’s thoughts and feelings. There was no one there to be inconvenienced by or made uncomfortable by their frequent displays of affection, and she was relishing in that.

It wasn’t just about sex. Elena was well aware of her Mikaelson family’s feelings about her marriage. While they were all supportive, she knew that Rebekah still worried that they’d moved too fast, that Kol still didn’t fully trust Damon, that Elijah felt like Damon might still accidentally drain Elena dry one day while feeding, and that Klaus was struggling to accept that his littlest Mikaelson wasn’t a child anymore. As much as she loved them, having a place where they couldn’t enter without hers or Damon’s permission was a relief after a month of living between the mansion and the boarding house, the latter of which was avoided more so than inhabited by the couple because of Zach’s lingering hesitance around Damon.

Unfortunately for Elena, the couple had no choice but to leave the house on Tuesday because Jeremy, Elena, and Stefan all had to be registered for school before the cut-off date passed. While Jeremy, Stefan, and Damon were in the office asking about the school’s wrestling and football teams, Elena waited with Caroline out in the hallway. Stefan emerged first and, seeing students in summer school that he didn’t recognize from either the party or the funeral looking at him curiously, he walked over to Caroline and Elena and faked introducing himself to the girls.

“Hi, I’m Stefan Salvatore, and I just moved to Mystic Falls.” he said in greeting. “Would either of you ladies be able to show me around town sometime?”

“Well, I just moved here, too, with my brother, aunt, and best friend after my parents were killed in a car accident, so I don’t know how much help I’d be.” Elena replied, recognizing the scene from her vision and visibly relaxing. “I’m Elena Gilbert-Mikaelson…Are you related to Damon Salvatore?”

“I’m sorry for your loss. As for Damon, he’s my older brother, actually.” Stefan said. “Do you know him?”

“He’s the best friend I mentioned. He’s told us about you before, and he’s missed you a lot.” Elena said, pausing before pretending to introduce Stefan to Caroline. “Oh, this is my other best friend, Caroline Forbes.”

“It’s a pleasure to meet you, Miss Forbes.” Stefan said, smiling softly at the blonde.

“Same here, Mr. Salvatore.” Caroline replied, all three of them sighing in relief as the summer school students made it out of earshot. “Oh, thank God!”

“I know! I hate how almost blasé I just sounded talking about my parents’ deaths, but at least I know what that vision I had back in October was about now!” Elena agreed, relief mixing with sadness and frustration. “I couldn’t do anything more than play along once I realized what was going on, so I guess it was preparing me for the next one that showed my parents dying.”

“It can’t even begin to describe how much we all hate that you even had to see it happen.” Stefan said, Caroline nodding in agreement.

“Seeing the aftermath, no one should’ve had to have witnessed that.” she said, the pair of them hugging Elena just as the office door opened for Damon and Jeremy to rejoin them.

“Hey, what’s wrong?” Damon asked immediately, and Stefan gave him a quick explanation. “I told you that you were acting in the vision.”

“You knew?” Elena asked, and her husband nodded.

“Sweetheart, I knew the second you showed me the vision because I know Stef better than pretty much anyone, so I know when he’s acting. I didn’t know when it would happen, but I was sure that it was never gonna be anything to worry about when it did.” he told her, and she gave a short nod.

“Okay.” she said, shrugging it off before turning back to the other three. “So, we should get going before we’re late for whatever announcement Grand-Klaus wants to make before dinner.”

“You’re not mad at Damon for keeping this from you?” Stefan asked, his confused expression shared with Caroline and Jeremy.

“No. Why should I be? This is, honestly, something like the fifth worst thing he’s ever kept from me, and it only barely makes that list.” Elena said, and the trio was too stunned to say anything more as they walked outside and piled into the Camaro.

* * *

Bonnie had been invited to the Mikaelson mansion for dinner that night, Klaus doing what he could to spur on the evident attraction between the young Bennett witch and Jeremy, and they had to eat in the formal dining room with how many people were in attendance. As was expected, Klaus sat at the head of the table with Elijah on his right and Elena on his left. Damon took the seat to Elena’s left, and Alessia sat across from him on Elijah’s right. Jeremy was beside Damon, with Bonnie on his other side, and Kol and Rebekah sat across from the pair. Jenna and Alaric finished off the right side of the table while Stefan and Caroline finished off the left. At the opposite end of the table from Klaus sat Liz, and it was she who began the evening’s announcements.

“I would like to say something before Klaus tells you all his news.” she said, looking over at her daughter and squeezing Caroline’s hand tightly before continuing. “I know I haven’t made my feelings on Caroline and Stefan’s bond clear, but I would like to do so now. I couldn’t be happier that they have each other, and, though it took me some time to wrap my head around the idea of my baby girl becoming a dhampir, let alone a vampire, I know that she’ll always have a family looking out for her after I’m long gone.”

“Oh, Mom!” Caroline let out as she quickly wrapped her arms around Liz.

“I suppose this is as good a time as any to segue into my own announcements.” Klaus said as Caroline returned to her seat. “First, due to the astounding lack of participation in the arts in this town, I am sponsoring the first ever Mystic Falls Summer Art Walk; the main square will be lined with artists and artisans, local and from nearby towns, showing off their best and potentially even selling some of their work. The Mystic Grill will be serving a special menu for the night, and nearly all proceeds from the event will be used to fund the new arts center I plan on opening in town.”

“Okay, if that’s the good news, then what’s the bad news?” Damon asked, and he continued after realizing that he was getting strange looks from Alaric, Bonnie, Liz, and Caroline. “In all the years that I’ve known you, Klaus, you only cook shrimp creole when you’re telling us bad news.”

“Damon’s right, Grand-Klaus, and I can smell it from here.” Elena echoed. “What’s the bad news?”

“We no longer have an insight as to Katherine’s movements or plans.” Klaus told them, and Kol choked on his drink.

“How?” he asked hoarsely upon stopping his coughing fit. “I thought Sheila Bennett placed a monitoring charm on John Gilbert before you compelled him to leave!”

“I did, and, as it turns out, Katherine was never involved in their plot. From the intel we did gather with Sheila’s spell, Katherine refused to take part in whatever they’re planning together. She told them, from what he and Isobel discussed, that more people than they knew would be hurt in the process of their plans and that she couldn’t help them.” Klaus explained, turning sharply towards Elena as he sensed her still.

“Couldn’t, not wouldn’t?” she asked, and he nodded.

“Yes, I thought it strange as well. Katherine has always been willing to sacrifice whoever stood in her way to achieve her endgame, so I can’t understand why she wouldn’t be a part of whatever Isobel and John are trying to do.” Klaus said, and Caroline responded first.

“What if, even unknown to her, Katherine’s soulmate is someone in Mystic Falls and she literally can’t get involved because she can’t allow herself to be responsible for their potential pain and suffering?” she offered as a reason. “I mean, Damon’s first instinct has always been to protect Elena, not hurt her, so what if Katherine’s going through the same thing without realizing it?”

“That would make sense if it weren’t for the fact that John and Isobel seemed certain that Katherine knew exactly why she couldn’t help them. If anything, it makes me worry that she’s planning far worse herself.” Klaus said, pausing in thought for a moment before adding onto his statement. “However, if you are correct, Caroline, it would be most interesting to see who her match would be.”

“We still have at least one advantage, not to worry you all, as Katherine has no idea that we’re all united together under the Mikaelson standard. As of this morning, the Faction’s vote is over and done with, and Marcel has already started putting into motion the necessary actions in New Orleans to get the proverbial ball rolling. As far as extending the message in all directions, I will be with Alessia in London, networking and researching, during the second half of this summer, Kol will be in New York working with some of our contacts there, and Rebekah will be in Los Angeles gathering intel on the supernatural population there.” Elijah interjected. “It’s not nearly enough, but it’s a start.”

“Tobias Fell offered me a position at the Mystic Falls Historical Society at the party, so I plan on finding a more permanent place to live around here and bringing my stuff down from Duke over the next few weeks. I still have tons of Isobel’s research, and it that can be of any value to anyone, I’ll gladly let you have it all.” Alaric said, getting two exasperated sighs from Damon and Klaus.

“Ric, you know you can live at the boarding house rent free. I’ve told you this a thousand times already!” Damon said. “Seriously, Zach has been the only person living there for the past twenty years, and we don’t even take boarders anymore because he’s too afraid that I’d eat them.”

“You also can stay in the guest house rent free for as long as you like, which I’ve already told you as well!” Klaus added. “I’d offer you a suite here in the main house if I thought even for a moment that you’d take it.”

“If I say that I’ll think about it, will you both drop the subject for now?” Alaric asked, and they agreed. “Thank you.”

“I’d be happy to take Isobel’s research, Ric.” Rebekah piped up eagerly. “With what she knows about dhampir, it’d be a great help to the project that Kol, Stef, and I are working on right now.”

“Project? Why haven’t I heard anything about a project?” Elijah asked his youngest siblings. “I’m the Lead Researcher to the Crown!”

“It’s personal, for Damon and Elena, and we’ve been sworn to secrecy.” Kol said, making his brother look across the table at the married couple.

“Care and I know what it is, but we’ve both been compelled to not tell anyone about it without their permission.” Stefan added, quick to ensure that they had an out however Damon and Elena responded to Elijah’s stare.

“We can’t tell you, not right now. It’s big news, and we don’t want this information getting into the wrong hands. If anything were to jeopardize the outcome, I don’t know what we’d do, and it affects more than just Damon and me.” Elena started, not backing down from her uncle’s steely gaze.

“Look, it’s not that we don’t want people to know. If I had it my way, I’d be screaming it from the rooftops by now, but it’s too big a risk. There’s only one way we can tell you, and that’s if everyone were willing to make a blood pact that prevents you from talking about the subject outside of the people in this room and anyone else that we absolutely trust.” Damon said, not expecting his niece to pull a pocket knife out and set it on the table between them. “Not right this second!”

“Why not?” Alessia asked.

“One, Sheila’s not here; she definitely deserves to be in the know, and I won’t do this without her as a part of the group. Two, you have an uncle who gets very unstable around human blood. We can’t all be in the same room when we do this, Lessie, or Stef might fall off the wagon.” Damon pointed out, and Stefan nodded.

“He’s right. I have to be extremely careful around human blood, and I’m on the side of the room with the most humans.” the middle Salvatore added.

“If Sheila is available, we can do the blood pact ritual in my office tomorrow.” Klaus suggested. “Stefan can go first, then he can go outside while the humans make their contribution, and he’ll return once we’re onto the spell portion.”

“I can ask Grams about tomorrow when I get home.” Bonnie offered. “My dad’s on a business trip, so I’m staying with her right now.”

“Well then, that’s wonderful. I believe that she should have my number from the wedding, so just have her call either Damon or myself to make further arrangements, for the pact would you please, Bonnie?” Klaus said, and the Bennett witch nodded. “On that note, I say that we eat.”

Klaus’ words traveled back to the kitchen where the service staff, made up mostly of young werewolves from New Orleans and the surrounding area who’d agreed to work for Klaus over the summer in order to earn tuition money for LSU in the fall, understood that to be the signal to bring dinner to the table. It had taken Elena, Jeremy, Caroline, Jenna, and Alaric time to adjust to having a service staff, and this dinner was Liz and Bonnie’s first experience with the staff at all, but Klaus made it plain that everyone employed by him would be treated fairly and with respect while being paid both a living wage and building up tuition funds that they would each receive at the summer’s end. It also helped Elena to know that Klaus enjoyed having new people around to teach his recipes and methods to, such as the shrimp creole they were eating on that particular night. Whether it be a pack or a family, she knew that her Grand-Klaus just like to belong, and she couldn’t begrudge him that.

* * *

Lining up with the town’s Fourth of July festivities, the Mystic Falls Art Walk occurred on the first day of July. It turned out that there were a lot more artists and artisans in the area than anyone had realized before the event. Tables filled with hand-carved figurines, picture frames, and wooden art wrapped around the town square alongside paintings and poster-sized photographs. Klaus had a table for just his and Jeremy’s work, and Elena nudged Damon and pointed towards the table when she saw Bonnie buying a piece that Jeremy had done just a week or so previously.

“Think she knows she’s the reason for all the bright colors when most of Jer’s work from the weeks leading up to that one are dark and feature red as the only non-grayscale color?” she asked him, and he chuckled.

“Somehow, I doubt it, princess.” he replied. “You know how some people can be so willfully ignorant.”

“In this town, that’s most people.” Stefan added as he and Caroline joined the pair.

“Jer’s making a killing tonight, though, so at least they can spot good art when they see it.” Caroline said, and Damon smiled fondly as the four watched their mutual little brother.

“He’s putting more than half of his profits into Klaus’ art center fund, but we agreed that he can keep a small amount for himself for spending cash. He earned it, and we’re proud of the kid. He could’ve done so much worse after the accident, but he didn’t let himself go down that path.” he said, and the blonde chuckled.

“Well, if he wasn’t convinced that you’d kill him if he even thought about taking any of the drugs people like Vicki Donovan push at school, he probably would’ve done worse. Your love, your support, and you asking Klaus to teach him painting saved him, Damon.” Caroline told him. “You’re the best big brother someone could ask for, and you won’t catch any of us saying that you don’t work damn hard to ensure it.”

“Thanks, Care Bear, and I’m lucky to have such amazing younger siblings that need me as much as you guys do, even Stef.” Damon said with a soft chuckle.

“Hey, I’m not the one worried about you killing me if I did drugs!” Stefan protested.

“Oh, _I_ wouldn’t kill Jer if he did drugs. I’d make it clear that I’d be very disappointed in his choices and take away his bracelet long enough to show him, in his head only, what happens to drug addicts. I’d hope that would be enough to convince him to never touch the stuff again, but _Elena_ would kill him if he did.” Damon said half-teasingly as he smirked over at his wife.

“Ha ha, very funny.” she said dryly. “Jer’s smart enough that I shouldn’t have to worry about it.”

“What can I say? I raise good kids.” Damon said with a shrug, and Elena smiled over at him as she thought of how excited she was for them to raise their children together.

At the end of the art walk, the artists and artisans took whatever wares they had left and packed them carefully before bringing their collection boxes to Klaus for him to take the art center’s portion of the profits. Since he’d been sharing a table with Klaus himself, Jeremy went last, and Damon thought that the kid’s eyes were going to pop out of his head when Klaus read out his grand total. On his art alone, Jeremy had brought in just over a thousand dollars. For his contribution to Klaus’ arts center, Jeremy would be giving up half of his profit; thus, he blinked at the $500 that Klaus placed into his hand.

“You’ve earned this, Jeremy, and you got multiple offers for commissioned pieces tonight as well. You should be proud of what you’ve accomplished.” the hybrid told him.

“Klaus is right. I know Elena and I are both proud of you, kid.” Damon said, clapping Jeremy on the shoulder.

“How much did we raise for the arts center?” the teenager asked, trying to get the attention off himself.

“I believe that tonight’s total was about twenty-thousand, and the Grill will send in their percentage in the next few days. Given that I already agreed to cover the difference when I brought this before the Mystic Falls Planning and Zoning Board, the center should be operational in time for that summer art camp we talked about doing next year.” Klaus answered, smiling knowingly. “It’ll give you something to look forward to next summer, and, if you keep your grades up, you can teach instead of just take classes.”

“You can also get a car when you turn sixteen with good grades, and Elijah and I will work out a schedule for driving lessons starting after your birthday.” Damon added, getting a smile out of his baby brother.

“That reminds me,” Elena cut in, getting Damon’s attention, “when are we bringing my car down from New York?”

“You have a car?” Caroline asked, and the brunette nodded.

“I have three, but Damon knows which one I’m talking about, otherwise I would’ve specified.” she answered.

“Three cars?” Stefan asked in disbelief.

“Grand-Klaus bought me a Lincoln MKZ last year, as every Mikaelson has at least one Lincoln car, and my mom signed her old Austin-Healey over to me five months ago. The one that I’m asking Damon about is the car that he bought me when I was fifteen.” Elena explained. “Well, we started designing it when I was thirteen.”

“Okay, I know how you get with cars, so what exactly did you buy her?” Stefan asked, shaking his head.

“It’s a custom-built Shelby GT Mustang, painted almost exactly the same shade of blue as the Camaro with silver racing stripes. Elena did all the research, we worked together on the customizations she wanted, and I paid for it.” Damon said, and Stefan made a noise of appreciation as his brother turned back to Elena to answer her initial question. “If all goes well, princess, we can go up the weekend before school starts.”

“It’s a date.” Elena said with a flirty smile, pressing a kiss to his cheek quickly in case anyone not in their group walked over to them.

“You kids can head out if you like.” Klaus told them, looking from person to person younger than two-hundred. “Since the others leave out soon, and we can’t do anything on the 4th of July due to the town fireworks display, the four of us are going hunting in Richmond tonight and probably won’t be home until morning.”

“Have fun and be safe. I’ll know if you weren’t.” Elena threatened teasingly, and Klaus hugged her.

“Always, lite lys, always and forever.” he told her, and the younger group began leaving for either the mansion or the boarding house as their destination.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Well, sweets, so it begins...XOXO


	17. Quacumque Sol Non Lucet

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "We are all traveling in the footsteps/Of those that'd come before/And we'll all be reunited/On that new and sunlit shore..."  
>  -"When the Saints Go Marching In," by Louis Armstrong

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Hello, sweets. I trust you all remember the way this started in canon: "Dear diary, today will be different. It has to be. I will smile, and it will be believable. My smile will say: 'I'm fine, thank you.' 'Yes, I feel much better.' I will no longer be the sad little girl who lost her parents. I will start fresh, be someone new. It's the only way I'll make it through..." I also trust that you know that this is going to be very little like that. Enjoy.

The morning of September 6, 2009, dawned far to early for Elena’s liking. She buried her face in Damon’s chest as the sound of Jenna and Jeremy’s alarm clocks reached her ears simultaneously, and the feel of her husband pressing a gentle kiss to her hair made her let out a groan. She didn’t want to be apart from him for seven consecutive hours, especially since she hadn’t spent that much time away from him since their wedding day. Knowing that she would also be dealing with an endless line of people asking if she was okay, how she was holding up, and if there was anything that they could do for her made her even more against leaving the house. She suspected that some would have questions about Damon and her Mikaelson family, too, and it was nothing she looked forward to in the least. He chuckled as she raised her head to meet his eyes, silently pleading with him to homeschool her.

“If you wanna be homeschooled, I’m sure Klaus would _love_ to be your teacher, sweetheart, but we both know you’d miss your friends too much. Besides, Care and Stef need you.” Damon told her, and she sighed.

“I know, but what’s the point of a high school education if I’m gonna live forever anyway?” Elena asked rhetorically.

“Think of it this way, princess: you only have to go to school for a seven hours a day, and then we have the rest of our time together.” he suggested, and she smiled.

“That’s true, and that’s also only those few hours where I have to act like we’re not a couple.” she added, and then it was his turn to groan.

“I’m starting to regret this whole ‘secret marriage’ thing.” he said. “I’ve got a council meeting today while you’re at school, and I don’t know how much more combined Lockwood-Fell glaring I can take before I snap.”

“If someone else didn’t stake you first, Aunt Liz would have to arrest you for murder.” Elena pointed out, and Damon smirked.

“Assuming that Liz doesn’t help me commit murder, that’s a distinct possibility. Give me a reason I shouldn’t?” he asked, and she giggled, pretending to think of a reason before wrapping her arms around his neck and pulling him down into a deep kiss. “Good reason.”

“As long as we come home to each other at the end of the day, everything will be fine.” she said, her words aimed at herself just as much as they were aimed at him. “It has to be.”

By the time Elena made it to school with Jeremy, they had already gone over what they felt to be every scenario possible for people asking them how they were doing following their parents’ deaths. They both had days where they missed their parents terribly, but having had months to prepare for it took some of the pain away because they’d started the mourning process before ever having truly lost Grayson and Miranda in the first place. She knew that her brother had benefitted massively from Klaus' art tutelage, and Damon had been her rock through everything. They just had to get through the day without letting too much slip. As she cut off the engine of her car in the school’s parking lot, Elena smirked at the whispers she was hearing. She could hear how jealous at least half the football team sounded as they saw her car, and it reminded her of what she'd heard the same groups of people say back in New York whenever Damon picked her up from school in the Camaro...save for that one day back in February when they'd had to deal with the guy that couldn't take a hint. Jeremy chuckled as he noticed the look she’d gotten on her face.

“Yeah, yeah, yeah. You’re car’s awesome.” he snickered, and she lightly shoved his shoulder. "I'll have to make sure that mine's even better."

“Do you wanna walk home after school?” she teased, and he rolled his eyes as they got out of the car with their school bags.

“Been there, done that, got the mentally scarring memories.” he told her, laughing at how quickly her face turned red with embarrassment.

“Call next time, don’t text. We can ignore a single alert tone, but it’s a lot harder to ignore a ringtone repeating itself.” she hissed, and he nodded.

“Oh, I will. I have no desire to ever hear those noises again.” he said as her face began returning to normal.

“What’re you guys talking about that’s got Elena so red?” Caroline asked as she and Bonnie met them at the school’s front door.

“Elena was reminding me as to why I never wanna walk home knowing that she’s made it there before me.” Jeremy told them, and Caroline snickered while Bonnie tilted her head in confusion.

“Huh?” she asked, and Elena sighed before whispering the answer.

“Jer got outta wrestling practice early once back in March, and Damon and I were supposed to go get him but didn’t hear the alert tone when he sent use both texts. He decided to walk home and ended up overhearing us having sex.” she told the young Bennett witch, and Bonnie gave Jeremy sympathetic smile.

“I’m sorry you had to go through that, Jer.” she said, and Elena rolled her eyes.

“No one sympathizes with Jeremy more than me on this particular subject.” Stefan said as he joined them. “I’ve suffered through the same thing.”

“Let’s just drop this subject and get to class.” Elena pleaded, the embarrassment returning, and her friends obliged much to her relief. “Thank you.”

For the first class of the day, Elena had U.S. History with Stefan, Bonnie, Caroline, and Rebekah, and she hated it. The subject itself was fine, but her teacher, a Mr. Tanner, made her want to shriek until his ears bled. She could do it, too, as she’d done it to Damon on accident more than once upon waking from a nightmare-vision. The man was the type who became a teacher out of spite and hoped for nothing more than the total depreciation of his students’ self-worth because of how his own teachers had been to him, and his arrogance made Damon seem like the most humble man on the planet. At the beginning of class, he’d started out by doing a pop quiz of sorts on their summer reading that was going alright until he asked Elena to tell him the date on which the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor occurred. Though she knew the answer, when she didn’t say it immediately she was chastised in front of the entire class, and Tanner even made sure to include a snide remark about her parents’ deaths not making her exempt from studying. At a volume that only Stefan and her aunt would hear, she hissed at them to stand down and sent warning glances to Bonnie and Caroline that both girls heeded. Almost as soon as the four had calmed down, she felt her phone vibrate in her pocket. Waiting a few more minutes, she asked for the girls’ room pass. Tanner handed it over with little resistance, flinching at the cold look in Elena’s eyes, and she thanked him icily before leaving for the restroom. Once there, she checked with her enhanced senses to ensure that no one could overhear her, took out her phone, read Damon’s text, and called her husband.

“Baby, I know you were worried, but everything’s fine for now.” she said as soon as he answered.

“ _For now? What happened?_ ” Damon asked, and she sighed.

“My history teacher is a complete jackass, and I stopped Stef, Bex, Care, and Bonnie from killing him while simultaneously scaring the hell outta him myself by doing my best Katherine impression when I asked for a restroom pass.” she explained. “He made a comment about my parents dying not being a reason for me to not have done my summer reading.”

“ _But you did the reading. I went through the book with you, and I know you know the material._ ” he said, and she chuckled.

“I never said that I didn’t know it. He didn’t give me time to answer the question, but I was a good girl and didn’t make his ears bleed like I wanted to, so you should be proud.” Elena said, and she heard him chuckle on the other end of the line. “Is there a way we can get him fired without getting caught?”

“ _Not without a lot of bureaucratic red tape, no. First, if I’m remembering your student handbook properly, you’d have to make a complaint about inappropriate behavior. He’d be given a warning if it’s his first offense, a suspension if it’s his second, and fired only after his third. Of course, if he was fired, I’d assume they’d need a replacement fairly soon, and there’s only one guy in town who’s got a teaching degree that he’s not actively using._ ” Damon responded, and she chuckled.

“Ric would make a great history teacher.” she said, pulling her phone away from her face to check the time. “Baby, I’ve gotta get back to class, but we’ll talk about this more later.”

“ _Yeah, we wouldn’t want you getting into any more trouble than you already have, Mrs. Salvatore._ ” he told her in a whisper, and she felt her lips curling into a smile that she knew that he knew was on her face.

“What’re you gonna _do_ if I get into more trouble?” she asked coquettishly.

“ _Nothing I can say in present company, I assure you, princess. Liz just signaled to me that the meeting’s about to start, so I’ll let you get back to class. I love you._ ” he told her, and she giggled.

“I love you, too.” she told him, ending the call and returning to class.

For all that Elena had behaved herself in her history class, she did the opposite in English a few class periods later. Miss Jessica Hilton was the type of English teacher who could spend hours singing the praises of whatever had been deemed classic literature and slamming everything else. She was, like Tanner, very arrogant and demeaning towards her students. She started off the class by condescendingly stating that she knew that none of them had read anything written before they were born outside of school-mandated reading, and turned sharply towards the sound of a derisive snort only to see Elena sitting there with her arms crossed over her chest.

“Yes, Miss Gilbert?” she asked, and Stefan and Bonnie both snickered as they saw Elena’s expression.

“First, as I know it says this on your roll sheet, it’s Gilbert-Mikaelson.” Elena began, glancing down as she fiddled with the ring she’d gotten for her birthday before continuing. “Second, you seem to have awfully low standards for us. The first book I ever learned to read on my own was published in 1903, and one of Stefan’s favorite books is on the syllabus.”

“Oh, and what books would those be?” Hilton asked superciliously, and Elena smirked.

“The first book I ever read on my own was _The Call of the Wild_ , and Stefan's somewhat partial to _Dracula_.” she answered, pausing to look over at her brother-in-law. “I got that right, right?”

“Yep, it's right up there with _Paradise Lost_ , and, if I remember correctly myself, the second book you read on your own was _White Fang_.” he told her, and she nodded.

“Be that as it may, the same cannot be said for your classmates.” Hilton said in a scolding tone. “Your parents’ deaths won’t excuse your attitude, Miss Gilbert- _Mikaelson_ , so it would do you well to not interrupt me like that again.”

“Oh, of course, ma’am.” Elena said in a polite manner, though she’d once more taken the cold tone that reminded all of the vampires in her family of Katherine.

“Not that I was trying to eavesdrop, but I heard your call with Damon. I’ll take Jer back to the boarding house after football practice.” Stefan said to where only she could hear, the low chuckle going unheard in the classroom save for Elena herself.

“Thank you.” she told him at the same volume at which he’d spoken, and the two feigned paying attention to their teacher while Bonnie just shook her head at them.

After the incident in English, the rest of Elena’s morning went reasonably smooth. There were still some people asking how she was holding up, and she dealt with them as politely as she could manage. Stefan told Jeremy of the new plan during lunch, and Elena ignored the looks she was getting from the rest of the table. She sent them all a mass text that each of them snickered at before she smirked at them and left the table to call Damon to inform him of the change in plans. The message was simple: _Marriage killing your sex life is a lie. Delete after reading._

“ _Now, Mrs. Salvatore, I thought we agreed that you wouldn’t be getting into trouble again so soon._ ” Damon teased when she told him what had happened.

“Sorry, Mr. Salvatore, but I’m not a very good listener sometimes.” she teased back. “Think you can help me improve my listening skills?”

“ _Oh, I know I can, but there’s gonna be a slight delay in those plans. I’m headed to the mansion for a meeting with Klaus, and you’ll probably get home before I do._ ” he said.

“Perfect, that’ll give me time to change. I still have gym class, and my history teacher is also my gym teacher.” she told him.

“ _You could’ve gotten out of that class if you’d signed up for cheerleading like Bex did._ ” he reminded her, and she snorted.

“I tried cheerleading my freshman year, I hated it, and I only kept the uniform initially as a backup Halloween costume.” she said, and he chuckled. “I only brought the damn thing down from New York for you.”

“ _And I love that you did. It’s at our house, so you’ll have to wait until this weekend if you wanna wear it._ ” he replied, and she giggled.

“That sounds like an excellent plan.” she told him, groaning as the bell rang. “I’ve gotta go to gym class now. Wish me luck.”

“ _I’m about to go into an official meeting with King Niklaus, so wish me luck, too. I’ll see you when I get home, princess._ ” he told her. “ _I love you._ ”

“Considering how much he likes you, I’m sure your meeting will be just fine. I love you, too, and I’ll see you when you get home.” she said as she ended the call and hurried off to the gym where she and her classmates were to wait for their gym lockers to be assigned to them.

Sitting on the bleachers in the gym, Elena was surprised to see Vicki Donovan in the class with her. From what she’d learned from Caroline, Vicki had been a year ahead of them until she’d gotten hooked on pills and ended up failing her junior year. She was in her senior year now, along with Elena, Stefan, Caroline, Bonnie, Matt, and Tyler Lockwood, but there were whispers in town debating as to whether she would actually graduate. Privately, Elena felt that if the town showed the girl half the kindness and positive attention that they showed to the Founding Families she wouldn’t need the pills to make her feel good. As the daughter of a Founding Family herself, Elena had already been shown more attention and affection by the town in three-and-a-half months than she was sure that Vicki Donovan had in her entire life. The doppelgänger’s musings on the other girl came to an end when she felt someone sit down beside her and turned to see a girl with light blonde hair and bright green eyes smiling at her.

“Hi, I’m Amber Bradley, and I just wanted to introduce myself while I had the chance. Once other people realize that you’re in this class, too, they won’t leave you alone.” the girl said, holding out her hand for Elena to shake, and the doppelgänger accepted it with a small smile of her own.

“Elena Gilbert-Mikaelson.” she said as they shook hands. “What do you mean that they won’t leave me alone?”

“Oh, it’s just that it was one thing to know that a Founding Family had moved back to town, but you telling off Hilton and scaring Tanner made everyone jealous. Every student in this school wishes they had the chance to do what you did.” Amber told her. “I think today might’ve been the first time Matt Donovan’s looked at another girl since Caroline Forbes broke up with him at the end of last school year.”

“I’ll have to let him down easy, then, because I know I’m not the kind of girl he’s looking for anymore than Care was.” Elena said, shaking her head with a chuckle.

“His sister, Vicki, told people that Caroline left him for Stefan Salvatore, but you can only trust about twenty percent of whatever Vicki says. That’s her over there.” Amber said, pointing discreetly at the girl in question as Elena nodded and rolled her eyes.

“Care didn’t leave Matt for or cheat on him with Stef, though she is with Stefan now. She’d been thinking of breaking things off with Matt for a while, and his insistence on a perfect life with the perfect house with a white picket fence and 2.5 kids just made the differences in what they want that much clearer for her. For as long as we’ve understood the concept of college, Care and I have both been planning on going to Cornell in Ithaca, New York, and she’s got big dreams for her future. She didn’t want to break Matt’s heart, and ending things with him broke her as well. Stefan just happened to be the person who was here to put her back together again.” the doppelgänger said, setting the record straight on behalf of her godsister and brother-in-law.

“That makes sense.” Amber agreed. “I also heard that Vicki got turned down by both of the Salvatore brothers. The older one lives with you and your brother, right?”

“Damon and Stefan’s parents died when they were really young, and the relatives that took Stefan and their sister, Mia, in couldn’t take Damon, so my parents took him in because they and my birth family were both friends of the Salvatores’, and Damon was named co-guardian of Jeremy at my brother’s request when we sat down with my parents to discuss their will the last time they updated it.” Elena explained, going back to the cover story they’d established. “As far as I know, Vicki hasn’t even spoken to Damon, and Stefan told me that he got creeped out by the way she stared at him at the bonfire, so she hasn’t spoken to him either.”

“What’s it like living with Damon? A lot of girls have been saying that he radiates Bad Boy energy, and a lot of the moms were all too happy to find out that he’s over eighteen.” Amber said with a giggle, and Elena laughed quietly along with her.

“Damon likes for people to think he’s a bad boy, but he’s really not. He’s a complete snob about food and clothes, he loves his car more than almost anything in the world, and he cries every time he watches _Pretty Woman_.” she said, watching as the blonde’s green eyes widened in surprise. “He’s a complete nerd when it comes to history, and his favorite type of books are adventure stories and Jane Austen novels. Damon is my best friend, and living with him is…I don’t even know how to describe it other than it’s like living with my best friend. He’s certainly made the difference for me these past few months since the accident.”

“I bet he’s had more than his fair share of girlfriends though.” Amber said, and Elena knew that she was phishing.

“Not really.” the brunette said with a casual shrug. “There’s really only been three women in his past. First, in order of how much damage they did to him, was Sage, and I ran her off because, when they were together, Damon really was a bad guy. He did things that, if he tried them now, would land him either in prison or an early grave. After her was Charlotte, and he had to physically run away from her after she became clingy and obsessive, a real stalker type. Third on the list would be Katherine, and that’s an awkward topic because she’s my twin sister. Before he came to live with my parents full-time, Damon alternated between living with us and living with my birth family. For a while, he dated my twin who played him and Stefan against one another; despite her having been found by my family much earlier than I was, Kat and I have never actually met because Elijah’s too afraid I’d kill her if I did because of how badly she hurt Damon with all her games; I'm over that, but we'll see what happens. She got sent to an all-girls boarding school while I stayed in New York, but they think we might be okay to meet face-to-face soon.”

“Woah.” Amber said after a moment, and Elena smiled inwardly in victory over having successfully overloaded the girl’s mind before turning her attention to the names being called for locker assignments.

Getting home that afternoon, Elena immediately headed for hers and Damon’s bathroom. After a quick, but thorough shower, she padded into their bedroom to answer her ringing phone. A brief conversation with Jenna later, she realized that Jeremy had likely texted their aunt and convinced her to spend the night at Ric’s instead of coming home. Chuckling to herself, Elena went about drying her hair and getting dressed. She chose a powder blue babydoll-style dress with a light pink floral pattern, and she forewent makeup entirely. Not thinking that they would be going out, Elena happily slipped her wedding and engagement rings back onto her left hand while putting her jewelry on and smiled at the rings that symbolized her eternal commitment to her soulmate. Dressed, she made her way down to the kitchen and began rifling through the cabinets and fridge to see what options they had for dinner while listening to the evening news playing in the background. Grabbing the ingredients she wanted, Elena began prep work on one of her favorite dishes she’d learned from Klaus.

When Damon arrived home half-an-hour later, he stopped when he walked through the door and was immediately assaulted by the sound of “When the Saints Go Marching In,” and the smell of jambalaya. Walking back to the kitchen, he leaned against the island and watched Elena as she added her ingredients into the slow cooker and stirred everything together. He knew that she’d like what Klaus had told him during their meeting, but he didn’t want to interrupt her as he so rarely got the chance to watch her the way she watched him. He stayed exactly where he was until she turned towards him with a wooden spoon in hand and offered him a bite of the jambalaya.

“Perfect, princess, as always.” he told her after tasting it, and she smiled.

“There was a mention on the news of football season starting up this weekend, so I got inspired.” she said, moving around the island to peck him on the lips. “How were your meetings?”

“The council meeting was boring as hell. The Fells can do nothing but sing Ric’s praises for his work at the historical society, and they act like Elijah’s heaven-sent with as much information as he mysteriously has on the pre-history of Mystic Falls.” he told her, watching the way her eyes lit up as he continued into what Klaus had wanted to see him for that afternoon. “Klaus is planning for the first visit to New Orleans being in February for Mardi Gras, and he says we’re all going.”

“Really? That’s awesome!” she cheered before her face fell and she tilted her head to the side as she looked up at him in confusion. “What about Charlotte? You ordered her to count all of the bricks in New Orleans until you came back, and she’s still bound to you as far as we know.”

“That was my initial worry when Klaus brought up the idea of Mardi Gras, but he insisted that four Originals can handle compelling her to turn her humanity back on if I _have_ to order her to turn it off at all. Bex thinks that our bond may have severed the sire bond Charlotte had with me, and Kol thinks that, were she to see us together, me effectively breaking her heart should sever it if our bond didn’t.” Damon said, resting his hands on her waist. “I hate to hurt her like this, but you’re my other half and the only woman for me, Elena Salvatore.”

“C’mon, we’ve still got three hours before it’s finished simmering.” she told him. “You promised to help me improve my listening skills.”

Hours later, as they stood side-by-side in the kitchen washing and drying their dinner dishes, Elena and Damon froze at the same time as they heard the front door open. Elena shut off the water as Damon set the last dish in the cabinet, and the couple turned to see Stefan, Caroline, Jeremy, and Mia standing on the other side of the island. Judging by the expressions that the four had on their faces, it wasn’t good news.

“There’s another vampire, potentially unfriendly, in Mystic Falls.” Stefan started.

“How do you know?” Elena asked, drying her hands on a dishtowel and putting her rings back on as she spoke.

“The late-night news reported the deaths of two people on a road leading out of town. They’re claiming animal attacks, but Liz called and told us that the victims’ necks were covered in blood and had distinct bite marks.” Mia said, and Damon swore.

“Son of a bitch! I should’ve thought about her sooner.” he said, and everyone turned to him in mild confusion.

“Who?” Jeremy asked.

“Her name’s Annabelle Zhu, and she’s slightly younger than Katherine.” the oldest vampire in the room said, and Stefan’s jaw dropped.

“Anna? What in the hell is she doing back here?” he asked his older brother.

“She probably wants the tomb opened. I know I would if it were me.” Elena said, and Damon nodded, sighing as he saw the confusion on the faces of the other four.

“Emily trapped the vampires who were locked in Fell’s Church in a tomb beneath the church before it was set on fire, and the last two people to see or talk to her before she was killed by the Founding Families were me and Anna. Only Sheila or Bonnie could lower the seal because it has to be done by a Bennett witch, and Anna wants it lowered because her mother is in there. Anna’s frozen at about fifteen, around Jeremy’s age, and has gone a whole century and change without her mother after pretty much never leaving her side for four-hundred years. She’s a scared little kid who’s looking for a way to get her mom back, and she knows that there’s only one other person, she thinks, who knows about the tomb’s existence: me.” he told them.

“How do we find her?” Caroline asked. “We can’t just let her roam around town killing people and looking for Bonnie and her Grams, can we?”

“Well, I can think of one plan, but nobody’s gonna like it.” Jeremy said, getting everyone’s attention. “Damon and Elena can go for a walk in the woods near the boarding house to try luring her out, given that she thinks Damon knows how to open the tomb and might mistake Elena for Katherine for long enough to think that he actually did it.”

“What part of Anna being older and therefore stronger than me did you miss, Jer?” Damon asked, and Caroline sighed.

“He’s right, Damon, and you know it. Not only are you freakishly stronger than you should be for a vampire your age, but we’d also never send you out without backup. My mom’s with Klaus and Elijah, and Bex went over to Bonnie’s to let her know. Kol’s trying a tracking spell to find the vampire responsible for killing those two people, and a lot of their plans stop if we tell them what you just told us. Anna may be older than you, but no vampire is older than an Original.” the blonde said, and Damon sighed.

“What do you think, princess?” he asked Elena, and she shrugged.

“It’s a reasonably solid plan, but I don’t think that Anna’s the one who killed that couple. It’s too messy for a vampire as old as she is, humanity or not, and I think that Kol should keep doing his spell. Anna’s most definitely around, but I think she might’ve turned herself an ally or two.” she said, to which Damon agreed. “I say we do what we can to lure her out and get her to work with us rather than against us. If we can open the tomb long enough to get her mom out, stake the vampires inside who probably hate humans, the Founding Families in particular, for what they’ve done to them, and destroy the evidence, then Anna and her mom can leave Mystic Falls without causing any further issues.”

“You find shoes and at least a sweater in case we’re somehow spotted by humans; I’ll call Klaus.” he said, and she nodded, kissing him lightly before vamping up the stairs and into their room.

Twenty minutes later, Damon and Elena were walking arm-in-arm through the woods near the boarding house just as Jeremy had suggested. After an hour or more of this, they were growing bored, and there had been no sign of Anna so far. Elena got an idea as they walked, and Damon chuckled as he saw her excited expression.

“Yes, sweetheart?” he asked.

“Catch me if you can!” she teased, kissing him lightly before taking off at a pace that, had he not known her as he did, would’ve seemed impossible given the three-inch, powder blue slingback heels she was wearing.

Grinning, Damon took off after her. If Anna was watching, nothing would convince her of Elena being Katherine more than Damon chasing her the way he used to chase her around the gardens of the old Salvatore estate. If she wasn’t, then at least they could have some fun while doing this pointless attempt at luring her out into the open. Elena made it to the boarding house’s back lawn by the time Damon had caught up to her, but he wasn’t fast enough to get to her before a dark blur shot from the tree line.

“No!” he yelled. “Run, Elena!”

Elena hurried towards the house, but the figure behind her was closing in fast. Damon was trying to catch up, but he wasn’t fast enough to overtake the figure he was sure was Anna. Hands stretched out towards Elena, but too far away to do anything more to stop the vampire, Damon thought that his worst fear was about to come true.

“Damon!” he heard his wife yell back, but then a second blur shot over and tackled the first before the sound of someone’s neck being snapped reached both their ears; as the second figure straightened herself up, Damon growled upon recognizing her.

“If you take one more step towards her, Katherine, I swear to God, I will have you handed over to Klaus before you can blink.” he snarled, but the older doppelgänger raised an eyebrow at him.

“I save your wife from this silly little girl, and you threaten me? I cannot physically harm Elena, nor would I ever wish to unless it was absolutely necessary. Take Anna inside before she wakes up, and make sure she’s got a guard at all times.” Katherine snapped, and Damon, too stunned by her admission to knowing about his and Elena’s marriage, merely nodded and gathered the unconscious vampire in his arms before vamping Anna into the house and up the stairs to one of the guest rooms on Stefan’s side of the house.

Elena moved to follow him, but a hand on her shoulder stopped her in her tracks. She could smell Katherine’s perfume, a familiar floral scent. Turning to meet copies of her own eyes, she felt her locket being removed from her neck and heard a mirror of her own voice say seven words.

“Remember what I asked you to forget.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Yes, sweets, to quote Sir Elton John, the bitch is back. Until next time, sweets...XOXO


	18. Dulce In Huius Deditionem

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "Lying close to you feeling your heart beating/And I'm wondering what you're dreaming/Wondering if it's me you're seeing/Then I kiss your eyes/And thank God we're together/And I just want to stay with you/In this moment forever/Forever and ever..."  
>  -"I Don't Wanna Miss a Thing," by Aerosmith

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Hello, sweets. This chapter begins two months before Chapter One, but it'll get back to "present day" before too long. I hope that, through this flashback, you all can begin to understand Katherine the way that she is asking to be understood in this story. Enjoy.

†

If someone were to ask any random vampire to name the vampire that scares them the most, one of eight names would’ve slipped from their lips in the year 1996, and one of those names would’ve been Katherine Pierce, the so-called ice queen of the vampire world. She had spent the better part of five-hundred years cultivating her cold, threatening persona, and she was a proud enough woman to admit that two of the other names on the list were her own creations. However, beneath the layers of icy bravado, she was still just Katerina Petrova, a woman who, barely out of her girlhood, had been forced from her only child by her cruel father and betrayed by the one person she thought that she could trust. If there was one thing that Katerina was above all else, she would always consider herself a mother before she would consider herself a witch, a vampire, or even a survivor. One of the first things she did upon her father’s harsh words upon discovering her pregnancy out of wedlock, she cast a blood-based protection spell on her baby and any of their descendants to never be harmed by anyone carrying Petrova blood. When she returned to her village after being betrayed by the Original vampires she hadn’t learned until nearly a full five centuries later that she was descended from, she cast a second spell. This one alerted her to every new birth in her line. Though it never led her to her daughter, it had led Katerina to many of her grandchildren and great-grandchildren.

On a warm summer’s night that June, she found herself in Morehead City, North Carolina standing outside a beachside hotel at an hour when she was sure to go unnoticed amongst the throngs of vacationers in and out of each and every establishment along the shore. She had cast a locating spell that the Travelers had used in her human years to track their members to help her find the descendant she sought, though this was far from the first time that she’d visited the girl. Slipping into the hotel, she compelled the front desk clerk to give her a key to the room rented to a Dr. Grayson Gilbert and his family. Key in hand, she took the elevator upstairs and hurried down the hallway towards the room number the clerk had given her when he’d handed over the key. When she reached the door, she stopped and took a deep breath. Swiping the key card, she entered the room and found herself face-to-face with a woman she knew to be from the hotel’s babysitting service. She compelled the woman to go into the living room of the Gilberts’ suite until the vampiress let herself out and to not check on the children until then. Little Jeremy was asleep in the travel crib, but Katerina paid him little mind as she sat on the end of the bed containing the small girl she’d come for and gently shook the child awake.

“Hi, my little Elena.” she said softly to the girl as her big, brown doe eyes fluttered open.

“Hi, Mama Kat.” the child said with a sleepy smile as she moved down the bed to crawl into Katerina's lap.

“I’m sorry I missed your birthday, sweet girl.” the vampiress said, gently caressing the girl’s cheek.

“It’s okay. You found me here?” Elena asked, and Katerina looked into copies of her own eyes, shining bright with inquisitiveness.

“I used my magic to find you like I always do, sweet girl, and I wanted to see you before I have to go away. I don’t have a lot of time before you won’t like me anymore, and I wanted to see you before then.” Katerina told her.

“Why?” Elena asked.

“Can I tell you a story, a special one that I haven’t told you before tonight? You have to promise to never tell anyone else that I told you, okay?” the vampiress said to the girl, and the preschooler nodded, prompting her to continue. “A long time ago in a faraway land called Bulgaria, there once was a little girl named Katerina, and she was a witch. Katerina was a good witch, and she practiced her magic with her sister Sofia, but their papa didn’t like it when they used magic. When Katerina grew up, she met a man who taught her all about a special kind of magic called Traveler Magic, and Katerina loved him the way that your mommy loves your daddy. The man didn’t love her, though, and he left when he found out that she was going to have his baby. Katerina’s papa was very angry when he found out that Katerina was going to have a baby, and he told her that she would have to leave home after the baby was born, but she couldn’t take the baby with her. Scared about what her papa might do, Katerina used her magic to cast a spell on her baby before she was ever born to protect her and any future Petrova babies from being hurt by their own family. When the baby was born, Katerina asked to hold her and say goodbye, but her papa wouldn’t let her. He took the baby and gave her to another family before sending Katerina away, but Katerina promised herself that she’d come back for her baby. It was a year later before she could get home, and something bad had happened to Katerina in that time. She’d become a creature known as a vampire, someone who can’t go out into the sun without a special stone under a spell by a witch and who has to drink blood to live. She was strong, but there were others stronger and older than her who were trying to find her. When she made it back to Bulgaria, she couldn’t find her baby anywhere and cast another spell to let her know when her baby had a baby, and when that baby had a baby, and so on. For five-hundred years, Katerina watched as her family grew and waited for the day that a little girl who would grow up to look just like her would be born. That little girl was finally born on June 22, 1992, and she is the most precious part of my life.”

“That’s my birthday!” the four-year-old chirped, and Katerina nodded.

“It is, I’m Katerina, and you’re my precious little Elena.” she said, and the girl’s eyes went wide.

“You’re a vampire?” Elena asked, and Katerina allowed her true face to surface for a moment, expecting the girl to flinch or run away, but Elena merely smiled up at her and reached out to touch the dark veins on her face. “Are you hurt?”

“No, sweet girl, this is what vampires look like when we aren’t playing pretend as humans. Aren’t you scared?” she asked the girl, her face returning to normal, but Elena shook her head.

“I’m not scared. You’re my Mama Kat!” the girl said happily, and Katerina felt her eyes grow wet. “You love me, not hurt me.”

“I do love you, my little Elena, very much so. I just wish I could stay here forever with you, but I can’t.” she said.

“Why not?” Elena asked, and Katerina pulled the child into her lap.

“Do you remember the vampires who were trying to find me in my story?” Elena nodded at the question. “Those vampires are your Uncle Elijah and Grandfather Klaus, and they’re very mad at me. I don’t think that they, or your parents, would like me being here. I’ve kept an eye on you ever since you were born, sweet girl, and I needed to see you one last time before I have to go away for a while. We’ll see each other again one day, but I don’t think you’ll like me very much at first.”

“Why are you going?” Elena asked, pouting.

“I have a friend, Lucy, who is a witch, and she had a vision of someone special coming into your life soon, my little Elena.” she told the girl. “His name is Damon, and he is going to be your new protector. He will never let someone hurt you, and he will love you more than anyone or anything else in his life. You will be his everything, sweet girl, and he will be yours. I have to go because Damon doesn’t like me very much, I’m afraid, and I know that he would never be where he’s supposed to be if I stayed. I can’t be selfish, Elena, and I think Damon is going to need you just as much as you’re going to need him.”

“But I don’t want you to go.” Elena whined, but Katerina pressed a kiss to the top of her head and shushed her.

“I don’t wanna go either, sweet girl, but I need to because it’s what’s best for you.” she insisted, but Elena started to silently cry. “You’re my sweet baby girl, Elena, and I have to go so that you can be happy when you’re a big girl.”

“But, I’m not a big girl now!” Elena protested.

“No, you’re not, but you will be one day. When that day comes, you’ll need Damon, not Mama, to protect you. I know him, sweet girl, and I know that you’ll never be as safe and as happy with another person the way that you’ll be with him.” Katerina told her.

“Don’t go! Sing [the baby song](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DlC2OuHWS3k)? Please?” Elena asked tearfully, and Katerina sighed.

“Can you do me a favor and look at me for a second first?” she asked, and the little girl looked up into her eyes as her pupils constricted and she did something that broke her supposedly-icy heart. “You will forget ever seeing or talking to me, Elena, and you will forget knowing about vampires, witches, and magic. You will remember that you are loved more than you know, and you will go to sleep once I tuck you in and not wake up until your parents wake you up in the morning.”

Setting Elena back at the top of the bed and pulling her covers up just shy of tucking her in, Katerina kissed her on her forehead as he eyes began to flutter closed. The tiredness from her compulsion was already starting to set in, so she sat down beside Elena and allowed the little girl to curl into her side before softly singing the same song she’d sang to the girl ever since the first night in the hospital nursery after Isobel had left the little one.

“Baby mine, don't you cry/Baby mine, dry your eyes/Rest your head close to my heart/Never to part, baby of mine/Little one when you play/Don't you mind what they say/Let those eyes sparkle and shine/Never a tear, baby of mine/If they knew sweet little you/They'd end up loving you too/All those same people who scold you/What they'd give just for/The right to hold you/From your head to your toes/You're not much, goodness knows/But you're so precious to me/Cute as can be, baby of mine…” tucking Elena in as she finished the song, she pressed one last kiss to the girl’s dark hair and stood up from the bed.

She glanced over at little Jeremy once more, compelling him to sleep through the night as well upon finding him awake, and hurried from the suite before she became undone entirely. It wasn’t until the was on a deserted stretch of beach where vacation homes were being built behind her that she broke down and cried. Collapsing into the sand, she screamed into the night as she released all of the rage, pain, and fear she held within her heart. Every chance she’d had for four years, she’d spent time with Elena and let her sixteenth great-granddaughter know exactly how loved she was. She had put her own plans to barter with Klaus on hold to protect the girl, and now she was being ousted from her place by none other than her own damned creation, Damon Salvatore, solely because he was her sweet girl’s soulmate. Sitting in the sand, her high heels in her lap as her feet lay in the surf, Katerina Petrova looked up to the sky for the first time in nearly five-hundred years and prayed to a God she didn’t think she believed in to protect her girl.

“Please, God, if I have ever done anything good in my life, it’s been protecting my babies. Keep my Elena safe, keep her happy and healthy, and keep her from meeting the same fate I have. Please, God, protect my sweet girl where I cannot.” she sobbed.

†

In 2009, on a warm, late summer’s night, Elena blinked as she felt her locket being clasped around her neck. Katherine took a step back from her, but Elena closed the distance between them and pulled her into a hug filled with thirteen years’ worth of emotion as each memory of little Elena and her Mama Kat resurfaced for the younger doppelgänger. Katherine hugged her back, and Damon returned to find the two women sobbing in each other’s arms moments later.

“What did I miss?” he asked, and Elena gently pulled away to from her doppelgänger to smile at her husband.

“She’s not a threat to us, not now or ever.” she told him. “Let her sit with Anna while I show you what she’s given back to me. Please, baby?”

Damon agreed, and he and Elena went to their room as soon as he showed Katherine to the room he’d left Anna in with a rather confused Stefan; he assured his brother that he’d explain everything to him once he himself knew what was going on, and Stefan relented. In their room, Damon sat on the bed with Elena, her locket on the bedside table behind her, while she showed him the memories that Katherine had returned. Once he had seen it all, Damon opened his eyes to see Elena staring tearfully back at him, though her mouth was upturned in a joyful smile.

“It was her. We thought it was Klaus and Elijah who led me back to you, princess, but it was Katherine.” he said, his own voice scratchy as though he’d been crying too. “She used that spell to find you, the one she used to sense your birth which had to have been a Traveler spell that only she could’ve done, and she led me home to you instead of keeping you all to herself.”

“She knew that you were meant for me, Damon, just like I was meant for you. She left me so that you could come into my life and sadly make me completely ineligible for Grand-Klaus to use in the ritual because she’s always known what I would become, what I am now, and what I will be. The difference between us is that she’s lived her immortal life on the run, constantly looking over her shoulder, while I will live mine surrounded by a loving family and little to no worries.” Elena told him, and he smiled along with her at this.

“This also explains why you’ve never been afraid of me and why you always cry during _Dumbo_.” Damon pointed out, and she giggled.

“It also explains why everything you told me about the Travelers and what we knew before of Katherine’s early life sounded so familiar to me. She’d already told me everything herself.” she said, rolling her eyes as her ears perked up at a sound at the other end of the house. “We should get in there before they kill each other.”

“Can you get Caroline? We may need her to calm Stef down.” he asked, and she nodded before putting her locket back on and vamping downstairs to find the blonde while he vamped to the room he’d left the three vampires in earlier.

“-nd how are we supposed to believe that you aren’t working with her since we know you wouldn’t work with Isobel and John?” Stefan asked accusatorily, and Katherine snarled at him as Damon pushed them apart before placing himself in the middle.

“She couldn’t work with Isobel and John because they intend on ridding Mystic Falls of all vampires, but especially me. Since the bond had been solidified, Elena could very well die if I’m killed, and Katherine is bound by a protective spell she cast before she was turned that keeps her from physically harming Elena.” Damon told his brother. “Last time I checked, death is definitely a form of physical harm.”

“So, all this is because of a spell? Is that your thing or something?” Stefan asked his maker, and she glared at him.

“No, I refused to help that moron, John Gilbert, and that utter disgrace to my blood, Isobel Fleming, because I knew the spell wouldn’t let me. I came back here tonight and stopped Anna from killing Elena because nothing on the fucking planet means as much to me as my granddaughter. For four years, every single time Elena was left with a human babysitter, I compelled my way into wherever she was and took care of her. She knew who I was, and she cried the day I told her I couldn’t come back for a long time because she had to meet a new protector who I knew didn’t like me very much. I compelled her memories of me away so that no one would realize that I’d already found her, that I loved her, and that I would do absolutely anything to ensure her safety. Leaving when I did and allowing Damon to come into her life and turn her into a dhampir saved her from the ritual. I had no idea that she would manage to worm her way into Klaus’ dark heart and save him the way that she did, but I couldn’t be happier with the result. Even if Klaus kills me, Elena will live, and she will be happy. I can die at peace with what I’ve done so long as I know my sweet baby girl won’t suffer because of me. Don’t you ever accuse me of only protecting her because of a spell.” Katherine snapped sharply.

“You won’t die, at least not for long.” Elena said from the doorway where she and Caroline stood. “I already worked it out with Uncle Elijah, and you won’t die for any period of time longer than you would if someone snapped your neck.”

“Oh?” Katherine said, intrigued.

“If we can transfer your immortality, your vampireyness, to another host, you’ll go back to being a human witch. Grand-Klaus can get his half-hearted vengeance in by draining you dry so long as you drink Uncle Elijah’s special elixir beforehand, and we already know it works; Uncle Elijah supervised Stefan through the testing process. You’ll come back to life as a human witch, and everything will be fine. We can even transfer your immortality back once it’s all over if that’s what you want.” Elena explained as Caroline walked over to Stefan and placed her hand on his right bicep.

“And you can calm down right now, mister. Katherine is here to help us, and you know what Klaus said about killing members of the royal family. Not even those who are a part of the family can kill its members, and we’re both in it at this point.” the blonde said, and Stefan chuckled. “I can’t kiss you if you’re dead, so you can’t do anything that’d make Klaus kill you, understood?”

“Yes, angel, I understand.” he told her, bringing his own hand up to cover hers. “A day without your kisses would be like a day without oxygen.”

“Why don’t you two go to your room before Anna wakes up and decided to turn Care Bear into a snack?” Damon told them with a smirk, and Caroline rolled her eyes.

“Hypocrite.” she teased as Stefan led her from the room, and Damon chuckled.

“What was that all about, may I ask?” Katherine questioned, looking more so towards Elena than Damon.

“Caroline is to Stefan what I am to Damon, and she’s calling Damon a hypocrite for shooing her and Stef because of their limited public display of affection despite the fact that, unless we’re in town or around someone who isn’t a part of the family, we’re not even close to subtle about our relationship.” the younger Petrova explained, and the elder merely shook her head and smiled.

“I also legitimately didn’t want Anna turning her into a gummy bear, if anyone cares.” Damon said, a half-smirk/half-pout on his face.

“Don’t worry, baby, you know I always care what you think.” Elena assured him, kissing his cheek just as Anna began to stir, and the three moved to stand around the bed with Katherine and Elena on the sides while Damon stood at the end.

Anna’s eyes opened, and she looked from left to right at the two Katherines at her bedside. One was wearing a powder blue dress with a pink floral print and a powder blue cardigan while the other wore gray jeans, a black top with a jeweled neck, and a tan leather jacket. The Katherine in the dress wore a lapis lazuli locket, and the one in leather jacket had a familiar lapis pendant wrapped around her wrist. While she knew that, logically, the one she’d chased after was the one in blue and the one in black had been the one to snap her neck, she knew that Katherine was crafty enough to have swapped clothes with her double. Only one word escaped Anna’s lips as she struggled to identify the real Katherine Pierce.

“Fuck.”

“Now, Annabelle, is that any way for a lady to speak?” Katherine asked her, and Anna was sure now that there had been no switch.

“How did you get here, and who is she? Is this like the spell you used when we were traveling here from New York before the war?” Anna asked, her eyes cutting over to Elena and back to Katherine, ignoring Damon altogether.

“I’ve been here for a few days, ever since I got an alert that a vampire would attempt to kill my granddaughter, and she is very much so real. No spellwork of mine cause this, and I will break your neck again if you so much as look at her in the wrong sort of way.” Katherine told her. “I’d kill you, but I’ve learned that we’re not allowed to do that anymore without approval.”

“Approval?” Anna asked, and Elena nodded.

“King Niklaus has made it a point to declare all reckless vampire slaying as against the laws of the Crown and to make it punishable by desiccation for a minimum of ten years.” the younger Petrova said. “Also, we know why you want the tomb opened and would like to help you, but you have to agree to our terms.”

“What would those terms be, and who is King Niklaus?” Anna asked, and the sound of bootsteps in the hall made all three standing up straighten as Klaus appeared in the doorway.

“I would be King Niklaus, of the Royal House of Mikaelson.” he said, turning surprisedly towards the older doppelgänger. “Hello, Katerina, dear. I thought we agreed that you’d stay hidden for a few weeks more before revealing yourself to Elena?”

“You knew?” Damon asked, and the Original Hybrid nodded.

“Katerina came to me while you were in New York to get Elena’s car, and she showed me what I assume she’s shown Elena given how civil everyone is behaving, so I issued her a royal pardon of sorts on the condition that she not fight me over the ritual. I hadn’t gotten around to telling her that we’d found a way for her to survive, but I’ll take a guess that Elena’s already told her.” Klaus explained, and the younger doppelgänger nodded.

“Of course, Grand-Klaus, and we can help Anna, correct?” Elena asked, and he nodded again.

“Miss Zhu, while I understand better than most what it’s like to be forced from your home, I fear that your mother’s companions in the tomb will not be as forgiving to the people of Mystic Falls as you yourself might be. If we were to help you retrieve Pearl from the tomb, you would have to be willing to leave the two-dozen or so others remain down there and, possibly, be killed before they can pose a threat to the town. There are humans, good humans, who live in this town who don’t hate vampires, werewolves, witches, or any combination of the three, and they don’t deserve to suffer for what their ancestors have done. There are others who don’t share this belief, but they are also not deserving of being punished for a crime which they did not commit.” Klaus told Anna, and the girl nodded slowly. “I won’t even bother touching on those who aren’t even aware of our inhuman existence.”

“I wouldn’t trust Pearl to not have similar thoughts of destroying the Founding Families along with Damon and Stefan, honestly. If I were her, I know that I would blame Stefan specifically for what happened because he’s the one who tipped off Giuseppe about me.” Katherine said, and the other two nodded in agreement as they looked to Klaus.

“She’s not wrong. I blamed him for years.” Damon added. “Elena got me to stop blaming him a few years ago, but you know what I was like before then.”

“Pearl can be compelled if she proves to be a risk to the town.” Klaus said after a moment.

“We don’t have much time.” Anna spoke again. “The tomb can only be opened by drawing on the power of the comet that’s arriving in a few days’ time.”

Katherine and Klaus shared a look, and the two devolved into laughter a few moments later. Anna looked between the two in confusion, and a glance towards Damon told her that she was not alone in this. Elena, however, was smiling and shaking her head at her two ancestors.

“How long do we actually have?” she asked them, and Katherine answered.

“The comet’s power can be drawn upon by a powerful enough witch until year’s end; I was around when it was first discovered, and even the witches back then knew that power drawn from cosmic events is never available on just one day. With the spell that Emily put on the tomb being the Bennett sealing spell, we can augment Sheila’s power by adding our own to it because, so long as at least one Bennett witch is involved, other witches can help. I’d ask Lucy, but she took off as soon as I released her and told her where to find Abby; she wasn’t exactly okay with learning that Abby had abandoned her daughter, though I suspect that she’ll handle Abby better than I will ever handle Isobel.” she said, and Elena’s smile softened.

“Cousins are different from moms, so I would expect nothing less.” the youngest Petrova told her.

“I’ll go place a call to Sheila to see when she will next be available if we are all in agreement with the plan?” Klaus asked, and Anna sighed.

“If it gets me my mom back, I’ll do whatever I have to do.” she agreed.

“Damon and I need to get Jeremy home. It’s a school night, unfortunately, and we can’t skip school on the second day of classes.” Elena said, though reluctantly.

“Caroline isn’t going home?” Klaus asked, and Damon laughed.

“We’ve got a vampire that Elena doesn’t think was Anna who’s killing just outside town. Do you remember the lake house incident and what I was like until you and Elijah completely cleared the area? Stef’s not any better, and Caroline’s not a child like Elena was at the time.” he told the Original, who chuckled before responding.

“It’s harder to say who was worse between you and Elena after that incident, and, if he’s anywhere near as bad as that, I understand her staying here. However, Anna shouldn’t stay here, not with Zach being, well, Zach.” Klaus said, and Damon nodded.

“You’re right, but where would we take her?” he asked, and Elena cleared her throat.

“Ahem, first, Anna is right here and can make a decision for herself. So long as she’s working with us, there’s one of two places she can stay at the moment: the mansion or the Gilbert house. We have room in either house, technically, and it would just be until we can all regroup tomorrow.” she said to the two men, and they both turned towards Anna.

“I don’t understand where I’d be going either way, so I can’t make a decision for myself yet.” she said, shaking her head at them.

“The Mikaelson mansion is sort of our equivalent to Windsor Castle for the British royal family. That is the family home while the Salvatore Boarding House, here, is Buckingham Palace, the office. We really should have codenames for all the houses, but it’s just these two at the moment.” Klaus explained.

“If this is Buckingham Palace, and the mansion is Windsor Castle, then the Gilbert House would be Royal Lodge.” Damon suggested, cutting in with his explanation. “Elena and I live there, for now, with her little brother, Jeremy, and their aunt, Jenna, who are both human.”

“You live with humans?” Anna asked, somewhere between amazed and confused.

“Damon’s lived with my human family for thirteen years this month, and I was still considered human until about a year ago.” Elena told her, vamping over to Damon’s side. “My parents kind of brought him in as my bodyguard when I was a kid, and, once I had him, I never let him go.”

“I was yours from the first moment I looked into those eyes, Mrs. Salvatore, and you know it.” he said, kissing her lightly before looking up to see a smiling Katherine and a confused Anna.

“They’re bonded, a soulmates bond, and they got married back in May.” Katherine whispered to the younger vampiress. “I wasn’t here, sadly, but Klaus showed me the wedding album.”

“Could I go to the mansion?” Anna asked after nodding in response to the explanation from Katherine, looking over at Klaus as she asked her question. “Elena is right about me not killing those two people, but that’s because I haven’t fed in a few days. I shouldn’t be around humans for long at this point, and I can smell two in this house right now.”

“Yeah, one of those humans would be Stefan’s soulmate, Caroline Forbes, and the other human would be Jeremy Gilbert, the four of ours mutual baby brother. My sister, born after the tomb was sealed, is at the mansion working on finding whoever it was that killed those people, and our great-nephew is visiting his daughter but will be home sometime tomorrow.” Damon told her. “The mansion probably would be the best place for you for tonight.”

“Jenna’s at Ric’s, and Jeremy’s supposed to be staying here with Stef, so we should bring her back with us tonight, baby. The mansion’s better in the long-term, but, tonight, we’re the best place for her.” Elena argued, and Katherine cleared her throat.

“Or, she could come stay with me. No one has to invite her inside, and Klaus already knows where the house is so he can keep tabs on us.” she told them, and the couple reluctantly agreed.

“In that case, you three can go whenever you’re ready. We’re still taking Jer home, though, because staying here won’t offer much protection.” Damon said, turning from the trio of vampires to his wife. “We should get going soon. Some of the neighbors don’t know when to quit snooping around, the Donovans in particular.”

“Yeah, there’s already a rumor going around school that both you and Stef turned down Vicki’s advances and of Care cheating on Matt with Stef; on top of that, Matt kept looking at me today at school. Although, that part could’ve been more from him knowing that we’re married since Care told him when he was asking about the wedding. Uncle Kol told me at lunch that he compelled Matt at the bonfire to not tell anyone until we said that he could, but who knows if he told his sister before the compulsion.” Elena told him, giggling as she heard Stefan try and fail at not laughing about Vicki Donovan while he worked on calming Caroline down as the blonde started spewing a string of curses concerning her ex-boyfriend’s sister.

“We should probably get the kid and get outta here.” Damon said, turning back as he and Elena reached the door. “Are we meeting after school gets out tomorrow?”

“Yes, and I’ll have the staff prepare dinner for us all.” Klaus replied, getting a nod from both Damon and Elena before they disappeared through the door and down the hallway.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Okay, sweets, be honest with me: how adorable is Little Elena with her Mama Kat? It's something that I've seen and had conversations on before, and it's clear that Katherine never intended on killing Elena at any point. Whether it was so that Klaus could kill her, so that she could take over her body, or a million other reasons, she didn't want Elena dead. The Katherine in my story is more like the Katherine we see with Nadia, especially in her vision of their perfect day. There is nothing that matters to Katerina Petrova as much as her family, and, in this version of events, it's definitely an inherited trait from the Mikaelson side. Until next time, sweets...XOXO


	19. Nihil Umquam Ultimis Aeternus

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "It's my own desire, it's my own remorse/Help me to decide. Help me make the most/Of freedom and of pleasure/Nothing ever lasts forever/Everybody wants to rule the world..."  
>  -"Everybody Wants to Rule the World," by Tears for Fears

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Hello, sweets. This chapter starts off with a WARNING as it will feature Elena's first seen (rather than mentioned) diary entry of the story which contains mentions of mature content. Also, there will be brief depictions of death, alcoholism, and drug abuse. With that in mind, enjoy.

The following afternoon, everyone who’d taken part in the blood pact gathered with Katherine and Anna at the Mikaelson mansion. Klaus had waited to bring Katherine into the room until after his siblings had settled into their seats, reasonably worried of their reactions. The three Mikaelson siblings who hadn’t known about the older doppelgänger’s reappearance had been shocked, and Rebekah had started towards her with a hand outstretched to rip out her heart when she found herself being stopped by Elena.

“Aunt Bex, no! Don’t hurt her, please. She’s not here to hurt anyone.” the younger doppelgänger pleaded, but the blonde merely pushed her away forcefully before being thrown backwards into Elijah, who had the common sense to get up to catch her the second she went flying through the air.

“Push her again, Rebekah, I dare you.” Katherine warned, helping Elena off the floor. “Ask Anna here what I did to her when she tried killing Elena last night.”

“Mama, I’m fine.” Elena said quietly, though everyone still heard her. “I’ve been hit harder by Jeremy in sparring matches.”

“Mama?” Jenna asked, looking between the two Petrovas.

“A longer explanation can be given after we discuss last night’s events, but, to summarize, Katerina was an unknown but frequent visitor of the Gilberts wherever they went until just after Elena’s fourth birthday. Whenever Grayson and Miranda would go out and leave the children with a babysitter, Katerina would come to call; she compelled away Elena’s memories of their time together so that Damon could enter her life without the complication of wondering if Elena was a part of some larger plan Katerina had placed in motion…even though she was and is exactly that as well as so that Elena could never be used against her by any of her other enemies.” Klaus told them all. “As a small child, Elena referred to Katerina as her Mama Kat, thus the name.”

“How did you throw Rebekah across the room?” Bonnie asked.

“I’m a witch, dear, it’s what we do.” Katherine replied. “Even with a significant portion of my magic blocked by my vampirism, I know how to protect my children.”

“You know, don’t you?” Elena asked, and the older doppelgänger smiled mysteriously.

“We’ll talk about this more _after_ the tomb is taken care of, sweet girl, I promise.” she said, and Elena knew that Katherine meant what she said.

After having explained the plan to the group, Sheila and Bonnie agreed to work with the Petrova-Mikaelson witches to lower the seal on the tomb to rescue Pearl on the condition that she and Anna adhered to whatever terms Klaus laid out for them. When the topic shifted to who may have been responsible for killing Darren Malloy and Brooke Fenton, the two bodies found outside of town the previous night, Anna admitted that she had little idea who it could’ve been. While she admitted to having turned the former star of Mystic Falls High’s football team turn Mystic Grill bartender Ben McKittrick as a way to keep tabs on what was going on in town, she hadn’t turned anyone else. Eyes had turned to Katherine, and she threw her hands up in a defensive manner.

“Hey, it wasn’t me. We already agreed that the spell I cast when I was pregnant keeps me from doing anything that might hurt Elena, and word getting out about vampires being back in Mystic Falls is definitely a danger to her. I’d never turn someone and let them wreak havoc around here so long as this was Elena’s home.” she insisted, and Damon waived her off and nodded.

“We know, but you do know someone who might not care about the risks so long as they thought they could use a pawn to their advantage.” he said, looking over at Kol as he continued. “What do we know about how a lack of humanity can affect blood magic?”

“You think that this is related to Isobel?” he asked, and Damon nodded. “If it is, the research I’ve done trying to understand your bond and its properties gives evidence to the idea that, by turning off her humanity, Isobel voided Katherine’s spell and can do as much harm to Elena as she wants whether she knows about it or not.”

“The newborn from the crash!” Stefan exclaimed, and everyone turned towards him. “He wouldn’t be trained enough at only a few months into this life, and we know he’s done Isobel’s bidding at least once before, that being the crash, so he’s the perfect candidate for being the one to kill those people.”

“He’s seen our faces, so we probably shouldn’t go to the party tonight, right?” Caroline asked, but Kol shook his head.

“No, if anything, we need to go now more than ever.” he said. “We have to act like nothing’s changed as to not tip the newborn off that we know that he’s here, and that means that the seven of us are going to the party at the Falls like we planned.”

“Make that eight of us.” Damon said, but he got confused looks in response.

“If you go tonight, you won’t leave Elena’s side.” Caroline told him, and he shrugged.

“And?” he asked.

“Bro, you and Elena have never had a normal relationship, even before you were an actual couple, and you being with a bunch of high school kids at a party, especially when you’re mine and Stef’s legal guardian, will make you stick out and possibly clue everyone else in on the fact that you’re not as single as they all think.” Jeremy told him, and Damon frowned.

“I could pretend to be Elena at the party, she could stay home with Damon, and I could just show her my memories later?” Katherine offered, but Klaus dismissed her offer.

“No, not when part of our cover story involved telling people that Elena and her twin sister were separated at birth and grew up being raised by different families in different states.” he said, and she sighed. “Everyone should be safe enough at this party with Bonnie, Elena, Stefan, Rebekah, and Kol all in attendance. Though still new to their powers, both Bonnie and Elena are capable of defending themselves.”

“Then what am I supposed to do? Stay home a knit?” Katherine challenged.

“I think she should still come with us to the party.” Elena said, drawing everyone’s attention. “The only person who’s heard more than that I have a twin has been Amber Bradley, and she hasn’t managed to get what I told her around town yet. We can say that Katherine graduated a year early and just got to town.”

“Am _I_ supposed to stay home and knit?” Damon asked, getting an eye-roll from his wife.

“Not only do you royally suck at knitting, but I’d think that I didn’t know you after all if you weren’t hiding out the woods near the Falls during the party just to keep an eye on me from a distance.” Elena told him, and he smirked. “Maybe we should work on your listening skills next time?”

“Okay, the look on my brother’s face is making me uncomfortable, so I say we close this meeting out while we’re still mentally unscarred by those two.” Stefan broke in, and Klaus chuckled in agreement before calling for everyone’s attention.

“Stefan’s correct, as it is getting late and I assume that you all want ample time to get ready for the party. Stay on the lookout for the newborn tonight, and tomorrow, Damon, you and I can pay the Lockwoods a visit in order to retrieve the talisman that you hid before leaving town in 1864.” he said. “On you all go.”

The Back-to-School party at the Falls was a lot like the End of School bonfire. Jeremy mentioned this to Elena and Katherine when they arrived, and the two Petrovas took this as a good sign. Elena could smell Damon’s scent every time she neared the edge of the clearing the party was held in, and she was already planning to slip away into the woods the second she got the chance. To really no one’s surprise, Katherine was quickly becoming the center of attention as the newest and most exotic thing to hit Mystic Falls since the Gilberts, Mikaelsons, and Salvatores had returned to town at the beginning of June; glad to have the attention squarely off her by midway through the party, Elena giggled quietly as she took off at vampire speed through the trees. Damon was waiting for her by the old bridge, and she slowed her speed as she neared him.

“Please tell me that you’re just bored to death at the party and that your not being chased by someone I’d need to stop.” Damon said as she came to a stop in front of him.

“No one’s chasing me this time, baby. Parties without you just really suck, so I left as soon as Kat had everyone distracted.” Elena told him, her arms sliding around his neck while his snaked around her waist. “Once she started mingling, I was the odd one out since the others had already paired off, so I thought I’d go where I know I’m always wanted.”

“Wanted doesn’t even begin to describe it, princess.” he said softly, smiling as their lips came together in a sweet, love-filled kiss.

As their kiss ended, a cry loud enough for them, and likely the vampires at the party, to hear pierced the air. Hands clasped together, Damon and Elena ran back into the woods following the sound of the screaming. As they got closer, the smell of blood wafted through the air. Damon caught the scent first, and he’d identified who was bleeding by the time they’d reached the next clearing and saw the body. It was Jeremy, a tree branch sticking out of his midsection, and the screams had been coming from the girl a few feet away on the ground. Elena screamed and fell to her knees beside her brother’s lifeless body, and Damon turned to see a horrified Vicki Donovan and a terrified Tyler Lockwood.

“It was an accident!” the teenage boy cried out as Damon turned on him with murder in his eyes. “He pushed me away from Vicki, and I pushed him. I didn’t know the branch was there, and he fell onto it. I’m sorry!”

“You did this?” Damon asked, relaxing somewhat. “You did this, and not her?”

“I swear, it was me!” Tyler insisted, and Damon sighed.

“I’ll know if you’re lying in just a minute. Kat, you and Elena need to get the branch out of Jer’s stomach so the ring can do its job. Kol, Bex, go back to the party and help Care and Stef keep everyone there, especially Bonnie. If Lockwood’s lying, she doesn’t need to see him like this. If he’s telling the truth, she’s got nothing to worry about, and we’ll have to take him to Klaus.” he said as the three older vampires appeared through the trees. “Kol, keep an ear out and bring Bonnie here if everything’s okay.”

They all did as told, Elena holding Jeremy up while Katherine removed the branch, and Damon sat down beside his wife as they both held onto the younger boy’s body. The wound left by the branch began to heal, and Jeremy sat up after about two minutes with a look of bewilderment in his eyes. He made eye-contact with Damon first, and then he looked down at the ring on his hand.

“Damn. I really thought Isobel would be the one to deal me my first death.” he said, and Damon chuckled before ruffling his hair. “At least it wasn’t something that’s gonna scar Tyler the way anyone else dying would’ve done.”

“Kid, don’t you ever do this to me again.” the vampire said. “I don’t care how noble you think you’re being, I never wanna see you lying on the ground like that ever again, okay?”

“Rebekah’s taken care of ending the party by compelling a few of the ‘in-crowd’ from school to go home. Kol’s on his way with Bonnie now that Jeremy’s alright.” Katherine said, the smile on the vampiress’ face a maternal one that only Elena could recall having ever seen. “I’ll take care of Miss Donovan.”

“Mama, be gentle. She hasn’t had an easy life, and this town never lets her forget it.” Elena warned, and Katherine nodded.

“Did she just say ‘Mama’? What’s going on here?” Tyler asked just as Kol reappeared with Bonnie at his side, and the Bennett witch got out of the Original’s grip and ran over to where Damon and Elena were helping Jeremy back to his feet. “How’d they get here so fast, and how’s Gilbert alive?”

“If you let us bring you back to the Mikaelson mansion, we can give you answers, but only there. This isn’t something that we can discuss out in the open like this.” Katherine told him as she moved by him to get to Vicki.

“At this point, sure. I wanna know what just happened.” Tyler said, watching as Katherine crouched down in front of Vicki and spoke in a clear, cold voice that the others knew meant she was using compulsion.

“You will not remember anything you saw before Jeremy Gilbert stepped between Tyler Lockwood and yourself. What you will remember is that you and Tyler got into a fight over his mother calling you trash and a whore. You can’t remember who started getting physical first, but Jeremy Gilbert stepped in when he and Bonnie Bennett came across the two of you fighting out here in the woods. You ran back towards the party and into me; we talked about you getting clean and getting out of Mystic Falls, and you went home. When I release you, you will go home and rethink your life choices. You will join an Alcoholics and Narcotics Anonymous group in Charlottesville and get yourself clean. You will work hard to get your grades up this year, and you will apply to colleges outside of Virginia only. You will prove Mystic Falls wrong by making something of yourself instead of turning into your mother. You will remember that we are not responsible for our parents’ mistakes.” she told the girl, and Vicki repeated the words numbly before standing up and taking off through the woods without so much as a glance backwards.

“What was that?” Tyler asked, looking from Katherine to the direction in which Vicki had ran.

“It’s called compulsion, and you’re immune to it now that you’ve triggered your curse. Klaus can tell you more.” she said. “Toss me your keys, and I’ll drive you to the mansion.”

“We should get going, too.” Jeremy said, but Damon held up a hand to stop him from walking back towards where the cars were parked.

“We’ll head back to the cars in pairs. Elena can take Bonnie, and I’ll take you, but you’re not going to the mansion tonight, buddy.” he said, and Jeremy started to argue. “No, we’re not doing this tonight, Jer, and I’m serious. You just died for the first time, and you’ll feel sore as hell once the adrenaline wears off in an hour or so. Bonnie’s gonna take you back home and stay with you at least until Elena and I get there, and I’m telling you to get a shower once you’re home. You still have blood all over you, and the shirt is completely ruined. I’ll buy you a new one, probably a new hoodie to go with it, but just do as your told so I can stop worrying.”

Jeremy didn’t say anything, just nodded silently as his brother wrapped an arm around him before vamping off, but he was relieved that the ring considered an untriggered werewolf supernatural enough to warrant bringing him back to life. Katherine had said that killing him had triggered Tyler’s curse, he thought to himself, and he hoped that the older boy took the news of his true nature better than Klaus had taken his own curse a thousand years earlier. He’d heard that story multiple times, and he knew that Klaus still hadn’t worked through the issues he had will all three of his parents concerning the matter.

Katherine, Tyler, Damon, and Elena were the last four to reach the mansion. Rebekah, Kol, Stefan, and Caroline had given the “adults” a brief account of the night’s events before they’d arrived, but Klaus wanted to hear everything a second time just to ensure that no detail was missed. He went to ask the newcomers for their version of events, but he stopped when he saw the state of Katherine, Elena, and Damon’s clothing.

“All three of you, go upstairs and clean yourselves up before we talk. You three look like hell, quite frankly, and I’m sure that someone on the remaining staff can get the blood out of your clothes. Tyler will be perfectly safe with us in the sitting room.” Klaus said, calling out after them as the three of them ascended the stairs. “Damon, Elena, separate showers! You’ll have time for that later and when you’re not in my house!”

Even though Klaus knew they hadn’t bothered listening to what he’d told them, Damon was the first one down within ten minutes. He chuckled as Klaus gave a short nod of approval, and the hybrid narrowed his eyes at his great-grandson-in-law as he noticed the smirk on Damon’s face. Rolling his own eyes, Klaus asked him if it were at all possible for him to act his age.

“First, which age are you referring to this time? Second, I’d happily let you delude yourself into thinking that we’ve never fooled around in your house if you’d ignore us since privacy is virtually non-existent in this place.” the younger vampire said as he plopped down on the sofa by his brother and Caroline.

“Could you at least behave as a one-hundred-and-seventy-year-old when the time calls for it? Is that better?” Klaus replied, though he couldn’t help but admit privately that Damon was reminding him of himself in that moment. “Also, I do remember the day of the funeral, unfortunately.”

“ _Great_ , now you’ve embarrassed her. Katherine wants to know what you’re talking about, and Elena’s explaining it to her. You really are like their dad, Klaus, and it’s weirdly fitting.” Damon said with a sigh, eyes cutting up towards the stairs as he heard the conversation going on in his and his wife’s bedroom between her and her doppelgänger-grandmother.

While explaining what Klaus had been referring to downstairs, Elena had offered to lend Katherine some of her clothes that she kept there, and the older doppelgänger thanked her as they made their way up the front staircase side-by-side instead of pressing for more information. It was clear that Elena didn’t want to discuss the matter any further. When they made it back downstairs, both in black jeans and tank tops with Katherine’s being red and Elena’s being blue, they joined the rest of the family gathered in the front sitting room. Klaus and Tyler sat in the two armchairs beside the smaller sofa where Rebekah sat with Elijah on her left and Kol on the floor with his back against her knees; on the other side of the room, Caroline sat on one end of the larger sofa while Damon occupied the other, and Stefan sat on the floor with his left arm propped up on the ottoman that Mia wasn’t sitting on and his head in Caroline’s lap as she ran her fingers through his hair. Elena walked into the room, pecked Klaus and her uncles on the cheek, and settled herself in Damon’s lap. Katherine copied Elena’s actions with Klaus only and took the empty spot beside Rebekah, smiling a little when she noticed her aunt flinch.

“Mama, Aunt Bex, behave.” Elena told them, rolling her eyes at the two.

“I will if she does.” Rebekah said, and Katherine chuckled.

“I will if people quit trying to kill me. Only one of you gets the pleasure, and Klaus hasn’t set a date for that yet.” she said, getting a smirk from the Original Hybrid.

“Katerina, we’ve talked about not sounding so blasé about your death.” he warned, and she shrugged, so he continued. “Well, on that note, who would like to tell me what happened tonight?”

“Tyler killed Jeremy, triggering his curse. You know how the untriggered ones get at this age, and when they’re spoiled brats who aren’t used to being told that they can’t have something that they want, they’re worse.” Damon said. “Jeremy told me this afternoon that Tyler tried forcing himself on Vicki at school, and we’ve all deduced that he tried it a second time at the party. Vicki tried pushing him away, but he got angry. Jeremy, trying to be the brave and kind-hearted kid I raised, tried to stop him and ended up getting impaled on a fallen tree branch when Tyler shoved him. Thankfully, the ring recognized Tyler as ‘Not-Human,’ and brought him back once Elena and Kat got the branch out of his stomach.”

“I compelled Vicki Donovan to forget what she saw, remember only what I told her happened, and to clean up her act.” Katherine added.

“Kol brought Bonnie to the clearing once we knew that Jeremy was alright, and I worked with Stefan and Caroline to clear the party before the newborn or anyone else could smell the freshly spilled blood and come looking for a meal.” Rebekah said, and Klaus nodded.

“Jeremy is at home, recovering?” he asked, and Elena snorted while nodding.

“Recovering, ignoring all logic and making out with his girlfriend, call it what you will.” she said, yelping slightly as Caroline kicked at her.

“Like you’re any better! Last time you got seriously hurt, you just crawled into bed with Damon and had him feed on you just so he wouldn’t leave your side for rest of the night.” she teased her godsister, getting an eye-roll in return.

“I never should’ve told you about Halloween!” Elena lamented.

“I would’ve put off feeding entirely until the next day if you’d told me that you didn’t want me leaving you alone, princess.” Damon said softly, and she looked at him with a smile that, to anyone else, was innocent and sweet.

“I had my reasons, baby, but we can talk about that when we get home.” she said, kissing him lightly before turning her attention back to Klaus and the dumbfounded Tyler. “Back to tonight, we knew that we had to bring Tyler to you once he’d triggered his curse, and here we are, Grand-Klaus.”

“Curse?” Tyler asked. “Mama? Grand-Klaus? Am I supposed to be more confused than I was watching a kid I accidentally impaled come back to life?”

“Mr. Lockwood, Tyler, there’s no easy or simple way to tell you this, but I do intend to try. My name is Niklaus Mikaelson, and I am the King of the Supernatural Commonwealth as well as the Original Hybrid and progenitor of one of the five Original vampire bloodlines. I was born to a witch mother, Esther, and a werewolf father, Ansel, here in what would become Mystic Falls over a thousand years ago as the fourth of seven children. My elder sister Freya, a powerful witch, is currently in an enchanted sleep in New Orleans; my eldest brother, Finn, is in a neutralized state in another, more secretive location due to the crimes against our family that he has and is willing to commit; my elder brother, Elijah, and my younger siblings, Kol and Rebekah, are the only other Original vampires who aren’t locked away at the moment. My stepfather, Mikael, much like Finn, is a danger to our family and is incapacitated for his and our own good. Before my mother turned my siblings, Mikael, and myself into vampires out of grief following the death of my baby brother Henrik, I had a daughter named Ylva who was born to a witch named Tatia, and she ensured that our daughter and her descendants would not inherit my werewolf genetics. Those descendants include Katerina Petrova, sixteen generations removed from myself, and Elena Salvatore, sixteen generations removed from Katerina, and both of them are just as powerful as Tatia herself. Through my vampiric bloodline, I am the start of the chain that turned Damon and Stefan Salvatore back in 1864, the pair of them having been turned by Katerina herself, and Mia Salvatore who was turned by her brother twenty years later upon her death during childbirth. Elena, who married Damon this past May, is a hybrid, like myself, though her hybrid nature is that of a dhampir witch, a human witch who happens to be half-vampire after repeatedly drinking Damon’s blood due to the soulmates bond that they share. Caroline, while not a witch, is on her way to becoming a dhampir herself due to her unsolidified soulmates bond with Stefan.” Klaus told the newly triggered wolf, and Tyler could only sit in his armchair and listen. “Jeremy Gilbert is, sadly, not entirely human himself. A magical blood test done on him when he was a child revealed that he is a genetic vampire hunter bound to the Order of the Five, should one of their current five members be killed, but he is mortal for the time being. As such, the only things that saved him tonight were that his family ring is enchanted to resurrect the wearer if killed by something supernatural and that your family have carried the werewolf gene since before Mystic Falls had a name. Because Jeremy is currently still human, Tyler, you have triggered your werewolf curse in killing him and are therefore a part of this supernatural world. Your parents know of its existence, as do all the Founding Families, as Katerina caused quite a panic when it was discovered that she and many others in town during the Civil War were in fact vampires, and you shouldn’t fear telling them what you are once you are ready to tell them. As I understand it, your Uncle Mason triggered his curse recently himself and is coming to terms with it all on his own. Unlike your uncle, you have an option that he doesn’t. You can learn to control your transformations and learn to use your powers in human form as well as wolf form. You can have a proper teacher.”

“This can’t be real.” Tyler finally spoke. “I’m being pranked, aren’t I?”

“I assure you, Tyler, that this is no prank. If you put this ring on, you will have access to your werewolf powers, minus your wolf form, before your first transformation. The next full moon is at the beginning of October, and my brother has already contacted a distant relation of his on his father’s side to come here to teach you what he himself cannot.” Elijah said, holding out a silver ring affixed with a piece of black kyanite. “Our mother created the first ring to control a werewolf’s transformations for Klaus’ father, and we had Sheila Bennett enchant this one for you in case you triggered your curse while still living in Mystic Falls.”

“Is that silver?” Tyler asked hesitantly, and Klaus chuckled.

“The notion that werewolves are harmed by silver was a myth invented centuries ago likely by werewolves as an attempt as seeing the confusion on the enemy’s face when silver heals us instead.” Klaus told him. “My nephew, Cary, who would be teaching you wears a silver ring with the same stone, black kyanite, set into it just like yours.”

“What’ll this ring do to me if I wear it?” Tyer asked, nervously accepting the ring from Elijah.

“You’ll have access to your enhanced senses and strength, you’ll be able to make your eyes glow the golden color that all werewolves’ eyes glow, and you’ll be able to remain human during the full moon instead of being forced to transform. I can teach you how to adapt to your heightened senses, and the glow is mostly when your angry and can be trained to not be an automatic response with enough practice. I only ever transformed once, so it would be Cary helping you with the physical aspects of being a wolf.” Klaus explained.

“But you can also come to any of us with your concerns about being a part of the supernatural world, Tyler, even Damon, who’s going to need some time to fully forgive you for killing his baby brother.” Katherine added, and Elena went wide-eyed as she saw a faint, golden aura shimmer around the older Petrova as she spoke to the werewolf, but she remained silent as to what she had seen.

Tyler still needed time for the night’s revelations to sink in, so Klaus allowed for him to spend the night at the mansion at the end of the meeting. Damon and Elena were the first to leave when Klaus began to dismiss them all, and no one was surprised given what had happened to Jeremy at the party. When they reached the Gilbert house, the couple listened in as they neared the front door. The house was oddly silent, though the presence of three heartbeats and the extra car in the driveway let them know that Bonnie was still there. Going inside, they found the two teenagers asleep on the couch. Elena let Damon handle them and went upstairs to her writing room. Reaching behind the painting she’d used in New York to hide her diary, she grabbed the red, leather-bound book and turned to the first clean page. She needed to get her thoughts onto the paper and out of her head.

_Dear Diary…and Damon,_

_So, the first two days as a Mystic Falls Timberwolf have been eventful for all of us. Monday, I scared one teacher and talked back to another. I called Damon after both instances, and he told me to not get into anymore trouble after the first one. After the second, we both agreed that my listening skills needed some work. Of course, unlike for normal people, that meant sending Jeremy home with Stefan and having Jenna spend the night at Ric’s so that we had the house to ourselves instead of just scarring them for life. I know I’ve mentioned mine and Damon’s sex life before, but it’s different when I know that we’re the only ones who know these things. I hate that everyone else knows about what happened after Mom and Dad’s funeral, but it is what it is I guess. Back to after school on Monday, there was a mention of the pro football season starting this week, so I got inspired to make jambalaya for dinner; it still had three hours to simmer by the time Damon got home, and we spent nearly the entire three hours in our room. I never thought I’d be the kind of woman who actually enjoyed any version of dominant and submissive roleplay during sex, but I have to remember that anything is possible with Damon and that not being able to give in to my body’s demand that I orgasm for three hours until he finally said that I could definitely falls under the umbrella of “anything.” I was completely spent after that, and I probably would’ve just gone to sleep if it hadn’t become second-nature for Damon and me to feed on one another afterwards. I was wide-awake and ready for more as soon as we both retracted out fangs, but we decided to take a break for dinner instead seeing as how I do still have to eat food even though I habitually drink vampire blood._

_Of course, everything couldn’t stay that perfect. Dinner was nice, but then Stefan, Jeremy, Caroline, and Mia showed up while we were doing the dishes and told us that there was another vamp just outside of town killing people. There went us having sex again Monday night! Damon figured out that it could’ve been Annabelle, a girl who he and Stefan knew as humans who’d either been turned or collected by Katherine before she’d ever arrived in Mystic Falls, and Jeremy came up with a plan to trap her that, naturally, Damon was against until I convinced him otherwise…though not in the way I would’ve liked. Damon and I went for a walk, and, as far as Annabelle would’ve been aware, I was Katherine Pierce. We’d gotten bored when she hadn’t shown herself after the first hour, so I goaded Damon into chasing me because I knew that Annabelle had seen him and Stef chase Katherine around the gardens of the old Salvatore estate. That plan worked a little too well, given that Annabelle tried to kill me while I was trying to get back into the boarding house, but she didn’t get the chance. Katherine stopped her._

_That brings me to the next bombshell event of the week. Katherine Pierce is back, though she never really left when you think about it. My first four years of life, it turns out, she’d always been there to take care of me whenever Mom and Dad went anywhere that I couldn’t go. I would call her Mama Kat, and I trusted her because she showed me that she loved me. It wasn’t just her words that told me I was safe with her, but it was also her actions. I finally know why I cry during_ Dumbo _now that she’s returned the memories of her that she’d compelled me to forget, and that’s because she used to sing “Baby Mine” to me whenever I was upset. It turns out that she left because Bonnie’s cousin Lucy had had a vision of Damon and I being together, and this made Mama Kat realize that he’s my soulmate. She left so that she wouldn’t deter him from staying, and she knew that he’d find me because she’d been the reason my magic didn’t stay dormant. I haven’t spent a lot of time with her since she’s come home, but I hope I get the chance once Anna and her mom are okay to go out on their own. Grand-Klaus is serious about compelling Pearl if she doesn’t comply with his rules, and I doubt even Anna would stop him given her painfully obvious fear of him since he told her what and who he is, but I hope that no one has to be compelled for this plan to work._

_The most recent bombshells both happened tonight, and I can’t wait to see what the rest of the year in Mystic Falls is like if things this dramatic are happening two days into the new school year. First, Jeremy died at the party in the woods. Thankfully, though I hope I never have to say this again, it was Tyler Lockwood who killed him. His ring resurrected him after Mama and I removed the branch he’d been impaled upon, and we took Tyler to meet Klaus officially as his new king. He thought he was being pranked at first, but he’s staying at the mansion tonight to let it all sink in before going home and confronting his dad; we all agreed that Carol probably doesn’t need to know about this just yet because, despite what we’ve all said about John, she still trusts him as a fellow council member. The second major thing to happen tonight was something that I don’t know if anyone else saw. Aunt Bex told me back in November that each witch sees bonds like mine and Damon’s differently. She sees the way we’re drawn together like a gravitational pull; Uncle Kol sees thin, color-coded strings; and I see the way that a bonded pair’s auras change color when their together. I know what I saw tonight, and Mama and Tyler’s auras both turned gold when they were speaking to one another at the mansion. I know that my relationship is nowhere near normal, but the idea that my sixteen-times-great-grandmother is the soulmate of one of my classmates and someone I’ve been friends with, even distantly, since I was a kid is more than a little strange. I don’t know if any of the others saw anything like what I did, and I don’t wanna ask where Mama might overhear in case it freaks her out too much. I just got her back, and I’d hate it if she ran off again. Damon and I are supposed to be going to our house this weekend, probably after we deal with Pearl, so I’ll probably talk to him about all this then._

_Well, it’s getting late, and I can hear Damon looking for me now that he’s sent Bonnie home and gotten Jeremy in the bed. I’ll write more tomorrow, hopefully._

_-Elena Salvatore_

“You forgot to add the HRH to the end of your signature there, princess.” Damon said as he vamped into the room and looked over her shoulder at her diary entry. “And anything definitely is possible for us…except for divorce because I don’t think that there’s a way to dissolve the link between our souls.”

“I guess it’s a good thing I don’t plan on ever divorcing you, then, isn’t it?” Elena replied, closing the book and handing it to her husband for him to place it back in its hiding spot.

Damon chuckled as he placed the diary behind the painting, and Elena was standing beside him by the time he’d turned back to face her. The two shared a short, but sweet kiss, and he draped an arm over her shoulders as she looped an arm around his middle. Turning out the light in the room as they went, the couple left for their bedroom a moment later as, much like Damon had predicted when he’d originally sent Jeremy home, the adrenaline from the day’s events began to rapidly fade.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Well, sweets, how do we feel about that last bombshell? Let me know what you think! Until next time...XOXO


	20. Omnis Cupit Ad Cognoscendam Eos Non Sunt De Se Ipsis

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "'Cause nobody wants to go it on their own/And everyone wants to know they're not alone/There's somebody else that feels the same somewhere/There's gotta be somebody for me out there..."  
>  "Gotta Be Somebody," by Nickelback

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Alright, sweets, this chapter is the start of another artist binge. This time, it's Nickelback. Enjoy.

It had only ever occurred a mere handful of times, but no one considered themselves safe when it did. Elena Beth Salvatore, née Gilbert-Mikaelson, was pissed off beyond belief, and she was barely managing to keep her emotions and magic in check as to not destroy Mystic Falls High School in a magical outburst. Elena’s rage was palpable by lunchtime on Wednesday, and everyone at their table knew why. Jeremy had been the one to call Damon to give him a heads up, and it was safe to say that the eldest Salvatore was currently in about a pleasant of a mood as his wife. Jenna and Klaus had been called in for a guardian/teacher conference concerning Elena by Mr. Tanner after she’d gotten a perfect score on his pop quiz about the history of Mystic Falls when no other student, even Stefan, had managed to get a perfect score in the entirety of Tanner’s teaching career. Any other history teacher would’ve been proud of her, but Tanner was furious that she had the audacity to not only know the answers but to also correct him on more than one detail that she knew from having heard stories from both her Mikaelson family and Damon that he’d gotten incorrect.

“I’d compare him to Snape, but that’d be unfair to the character.” Caroline said as they ate.

“The guy’s a first-rate jackass, and I don’t pity him for what’s gonna happen once he’s officially pissed off Klaus.” Jeremy added.

“I’d be more worried about Damon and Elena themselves, honestly. He’s got the reputation that he’s got for a reason, and he hates it when Elena’s upset; I can understand why. Between the emotional feedback loop the bond gives them and the knowledge of her having both the Mikaelson and Petrova tempers, I wouldn’t want to be the sorry soul to finally set her off one day.” Stefan admitted with a dark chuckle that cause his sister-in-law to glare at him.

“I’m barely holding my magic in right now, so don’t make yourself that sorry soul, Stef.” she warned, sighing as she felt Kol drop a hand onto her shoulder as he tried calming her down.

“Elena, love, you really should go home. Remember the morning of your wedding?” her uncle asked her quietly, confusing everyone at the table except for Jeremy and Rebekah.

“I know, and I feel it building, but I- Oh, son of a bitch!” she responded just as quietly, swearing as she heard a familiar, angry growl in the history classroom.

“I’ll go; he usually listens to me.” Rebekah volunteered, but Elena shook her head.

“The only person he listens to more than me is Uncle Elijah, so I’ll go. It’s my mess anyway, and he’ll probably insist on me going with him to Tyler’s when he leaves anyway, so it’s better if I go.” she told her aunt, and the others all backed off as she got up from the table, dumped her lunch tray, and hurried off to try to keep her grandfather from committing murder.

She heard Klaus’ growls get louder as she neared the classroom, and Elena would’ve laughed if she hadn’t been legitimately worried about Tanner’s survival rate percentage. Stepping into the room, she caught Jenna’s eye and whispered something that stopped Klaus from going over the edge and snapping her teacher’s neck. He looked over at her, understanding in his eyes, and she nodded.

“Well, if you have anything to say that doesn’t involve degrading Elena for her intelligence and interest in history that you are quickly draining her of, I think that this conference is just about over, Mr. Tanner.” Klaus told the teacher. “Not only do I have a meeting with Mayor Lockwood soon, but I also suspect that Jenna would much rather be working on her doctoral thesis rather than wasting her time here.”

“Oh, I-I-I’m so sorry for keeping you then, Mr. Mikaelson, Ms. Sommers.” he tried to recover. “I never meant any disrespect towards Miss Gilbert-Mikaelson, I assure you. I was just taken by surprise when she answered every question correctly. Even Mr. Salvatore and Miss Forbes ran into trouble with a question or two, especially the one about the school having been built on what was once a Native American village.”

“Elena has spent much of her life listening to my brother, Elijah, tell stories of Mystic Falls that have been passed down in our family for a thousand years; our family traces its origins back to this very town before it was officially founded, and my brother can never get enough research to satisfy his curiosity. He’s a part of the Historical Society and is one of Tobias Fell’s favorite researchers with all of the information he’s amassed on the town over the years.” Klaus told him, and Tanner nodded.

“Well, that would certainly make sense. The only remaining issue is the manner in which Elena spoke out against me when I confronted her about her quiz. It wasn’t the appropriate way for a student to address a teacher.” he said, and Klaus raised an eyebrow.

“Oh, you mean it was just as inappropriate as you telling Elena that losing both of her parents in a tragic motor vehicle accident this past summer wasn’t a reason for her to have not done her summer reading, which she did in fact do, just because she didn’t answer your question the moment you finished asking it?” the hybrid said, and Elena smirked as she watched what little color remained in Tanner’s face drain fast. “When he heard about this, Elijah wanted to have Elena, Kol, and Rebekah all homeschooled rather than allow them to suffer through your class, and I can tell you that Damon Salvatore, Liz Forbes, Rudy Hopkins, Sheila Bennett, and Jenna all agreed with him. The only reason I didn’t agree is because I’ve studied child development long enough to know the importance of socialization in adolescence. As for the Lockwoods and the Fells, we haven’t told them of this incident quite yet, though I suspect that Mr. Tyler Lockwood and Miss Blair Fell may have told them by this point. Perhaps we can all agree to a deal of sorts? Elena does not get into trouble for knowing the answers to a pop quiz and defending herself, and I don’t decide to agree with my fellows by pulling the children of the Founding Families out of this school and ensure that everyone knows that it was your fault?”

“Yes, I am completely okay with this deal, Mr. Mikaelson.” Tanner said immediately, and the devilish smirk that graced Klaus’ face made Elena suppress a laugh.

“Perfect.” he said. “Now, I must make a quick stop by the front office to sign Elena out for the afternoon before I leave to meet with the mayor. Good day, Mr. Tanner.”

“Oh, so she _is_ going to the meeting with you.” Jenna said, and Klaus nodded. “I know that she’s been going to the meetings that Elijah can’t make, but I didn’t know if she was going today.”

“Yes, she and Katherine both.” he told her. “Why Katherine was so insistent, I don’t know.”

“I do!” Elena sing-songed as she alerted Tanner to her presence.

“Tell me in the car?” Klaus asked, and she nodded.

“Bex is gonna get my work, so we can go as soon as you sign me out in the office.” she said, and Tanner took this as the queue to finally dismiss them, unsurprised with how quickly all three left his classroom.

Jenna parted ways with Klaus and Elena in the school’s parking lot, agreeing to drive Elena’s car home since Klaus had picked the blonde up for the guardian/teacher conference, and the two hybrids got into Klaus’ Navigator and made their way to the Lockwood Mansion to meet with the mayor. Klaus asked Elena about Katherine’s insistence on being included in the meeting as he drove away from the school, and the younger Petrova giggled. She took a breath to calm herself down before telling him what she’d seen the previous night.

“I don’t think she knows, at least not consciously, but she wants to be there in case Mayor Lockwood doesn’t react as well as we’re hoping.” she said, glad they were at a stoplight when she saw the shocked expression on his face.

“So, Caroline wasn’t entirely wrong with what she said this past summer.” he finally spoke. “I can’t say that I ever expected another wolf to find their way into our family this way, but if anyone is capable of handling a werewolf as their other half, it would be Katerina.”

“What would we do if, after the ritual, she doesn’t want her vampirism back because Tyler’s not immortal and could kill her with a single bite?” Elena asked, and Klaus shrugged.

“We wouldn’t have to give it back to her, depending upon who it was transferred to, or I could turn him into a hybrid if they were both willing.” he offered, and she frowned.

“Without her immortality, though, wouldn’t she die?” she asked, and he nodded.

“Katerina would live as long as any witch can, but, yes, she would one day die. It’s the nature of life, my lite lys, and we have been lucky all these years that our family has remained as together as it has for as long as it has.” he said, and she knew that he was right.

The conversation lapsed into a comfortable silence after that, and Elena wasn’t surprised to see the worried expressions on her husband and grandmother’s faces when she stepped out of the car in front of the Lockwood Mansion.

“Is everything alright?” Katherine asked, and Elena nodded.

“Yeah, everything’s fine. I just got a little too in my head for a bit.” she answered, using a question to change the subject. “How’s Tyler?”

“I’m dealing.” the new werewolf said as he opened the front door and invited them all inside the house. “C’mon in, and I’ll show you to my dad’s office. He’s expecting Klaus and Damon, but I doubt he’ll be put out by getting to meet the Mikaelson twins everyone in town’s been talking about since Kat showed up at the party last night.”

The four of them followed Tyler into the house, and Damon dropped a kiss onto Elena’s head that she translated as him telling her that she could tell him what was really bothering her when they were alone. Tyler led them into Richard’s office, and Elena couldn’t help but think that the room was the only one in the house that hadn’t been decorated by Carol Lockwood herself. It was pleasant enough to look at, and the couch that she sat on with Damon was comfortable, but the space definitely gave off a masculine energy completely devoid of the feminine touch the rest of the house that she’d so far seen held.

“You’re right, princess, it’s a total man-cave.” Damon whispered.

“She didn’t even say anything.” Tyler asked them, and Katherine smiled fondly as she shook her head. “Did he read her mind or something?”

“It’s from their bond. It’s not exactly telepathy, as that power is blocked by the vervain in her locket, but they do tend to know what’s going on in the other’s mind.” she told him just as quietly as Klaus was explaining the girls’ presence to Richard.

“Well, if there’s nothing to worry about with the two of them joining us, then let’s get this meeting started. What was it you needed to speak to me about so urgently, Klaus?” Richard asked, and the Original Hybrid gave a half-smile before responding.

“Every person in this room is aware of your family’s secret, Richard, and not one of us is likely to tell anyone else because it would expose our own.” he said, looking around at the other four before fixing his gaze on the mayor. “We know about your family’s werewolf curse.”

“What are you, and how do you know this?” Richard asked, doing a double-take as he realized that his son was still in the room. “How do you know about this, son?”

“I accidentally killed someone last night, Jeremy Gilbert, and triggered my curse. Damon, Elena, and Katherine all knew what I’d done, and they took me to see Klaus because he’s the best person to help me with the changes I’m facing.” Tyler explained, looking down guiltily as he mentioned what he’d done to Jeremy.

“Hey, Jer’s fine. The Gilbert ring is enchanted the way it is for a reason, and he came back to life once we got the branch outta his stomach. He’s even agreed to cover for you at practice this afternoon, so he’s not holding a grudge.” Damon said to the teenage boy. “Don’t be so hard on yourself.”

“Didn’t you say he’d need time to not hate me for what I did?” Tyler asked Katherine, and she nodded.

“That was before I knew about something I like to call the Elena Effect.” she told him, smiling over at Damon and Elena, the latter of whom had given up on pretense and laid her head on her husband’s shoulder. “He’s practically tamed.”

“No he’s not.” Elena said, her languorous tone confusing Richard Lockwood even more. “His heart will always be wild, especially as long as it’s mine.”

“It’s always been yours, baby, and you’re never gonna let me forget.” Damon said as he wrapped an arm around her and pulled her into his lap.

“Um…confused.” Richard finally spoke, and Klaus chuckled.

“We know your family’s secret because it dates back to the very origin of ours. I trust you know that the presence of werewolves in Mystic Falls dates back over a thousand years to a werewolf chief named Ansel?” he asked the mayor, getting a nod in return before continuing. “Ansel’s main rival in the battles between the werewolves and the humans was a man named Mikael who had come to the area from Norway with his pregnant wife, Esther, and their eldest son, Finn; not long after their arrival, Esther gave birth to their second son, Elijah, and began an affair with Ansel while her husband was away fighting alongside the warriors who made up Ansel’s pack. There were rumors of magical wolves roaming the forests during the full moon, and it was common practice for new pack members to be turned by killing someone during the Blood Moon as was typical of the old ways, but there was no true animosity between the werewolves and anyone else at the time. Esther fell pregnant with Ansel’s son, and she ended the affair and made Mikael think that the baby she carried was his in order to keep her family together. When her son was born, she kept his true nature hidden from everyone except for Ansel and little Niklaus himself. Even as a child, I favored my father in looks as opposed to my mother, and he knew I was his from the first time he laid eyes on me. Mikael had no idea, and I frequently played games in the woods with my siblings on both sides of my family. Within a few years of my birth, Kol was born, and Rebekah followed him within a year. Henrik was a surprise baby, and he was the favorite of us all. When he was fourteen, he asked me to take him to see the werewolves transform; I only agreed because I thought that, as Ansel’s son, they would not dare to harm me and anyone under my protection. I was wrong, and my mistake cost my baby brother his life. My family had many reactions to Henrik’s death, none of them good. Kol and Rebekah became fearful of the wolves, Mikael swore vengeance, Finn withdrew into himself, Elijah and I sought comfort from the same woman, and Mother completely spiraled.”

“That’s one way to describe it.” Elena snorted, but Klaus shot her a warning look that silenced her.

“My mother and stepfather brought a friend along with them when they left Europe, a witch named Ayana, and she helped my mother, who was a powerful witch in her own right, develop a spell and elixir that would turn her children and husband into something more powerful than a werewolf, something that a werewolf wouldn’t be able to kill as easily as my brother had been. The key ingredient in this spell was the blood of another creature, a doppelgänger, and the only one in the area was a woman named Tatia who Mother knew to not only be a powerful witch but also be the woman that both Elijah and myself had been seeing without the other knowing. Tatia realized that something was amiss when Mother asked for her blood, and she told us the truth about having been with both of us. She and I ended our relationship, though her relationship with Elijah continued, but she soon discovered that I had fathered her child shortly before we agreed to remain friends. Not long before our daughter’s first birthday, Tatia warned me that Mother was planning something dangerous. That night, she dosed our dinner wine with Tatia’s blood, said her spell, and had Mikael run us all through with his sword. He and the five of us awoke as the Original vampires, and Nature had afflicted us with weaknesses to keep us balanced. I was largely unaffected by these weaknesses due to my werewolf genetics, and I triggered my curse upon feeding on a human for the first time. When we’re young, new to this life, vampires are lacking in control, and the kill becomes easier than stopping. We learned this the hard way as, in one of a mere handful of incidents in his entire life, Elijah lost control with Tatia on our daughter’s birthday. She died in his arms, and her last words to him were to hide Ylva, our daughter, from Mother because she wanted Tatia’s line to end so that the curse she was about to place on me would never be lifted. Elijah did as she asked, with my blessing of course, and Mother used the last of Tatia’s blood that she’d gathered for turning us to bind my werewolf side now that Mikael was certain that I was not his son. When she did this, Mikael slaughtered my father, stepmother, and half-sister. My half-brother was older than I, and he got away from the massacre and was able to continue his line. It split off into more than a few branches over time, with most having relocated to Mississippi and Louisiana, but one branch remained in what would become Mystic Falls until shortly before the town’s founding. There was a woman, a rather distant niece of mine, who married a Lockwood boy in the 1820s, who was still a here when the town was founded officially; her son, George, was the first in centuries to trigger the curse, and it has continued in the Lockwood line ever since. According to my nephew Cary, of the family in Mississippi, leadership of the pack should theoretically belong to me given that, with my brother’s death, I am the eldest living child of Ansel, but I cannot officially claim this until my curse is broken. So, until such time as that occurs, I have instead devoted my life to my two great loves: my family and my art.” Klaus continued, and Richard blinked for a moment or two before responding.

“If you were to tell anyone about my family’s curse, you’d have to reveal that you’re a vampire?” he asked slowly, and Klaus shrugged.

“I’m actually a hybrid, the Original Hybrid, but yes. I would also be exposing the secrets of my father’s side of my family, which includes you, and I wouldn’t want to do that either. Most importantly, I would never want to let it be known by outsiders that both of the living female doppelgängers and one of the living males are a part of my family as well.” he explained, and Richard looked from Elena to Katherine as if realizing what Klaus’ words implied. “The male would be Stefan Salvatore, and I don’t believe I need to tell you the identity of the females.”

“I’m the older of the two of us.” Katherine told him. “I was born in Bulgaria five-hundred years ago, and I had a daughter out of wedlock when I was eighteen. My father took her from me and adopted her out to another family while also banishing me from our home. Within a year, I’d met the Mikaelsons, my family removed by sixteen generations, and managed to get myself turned to avoid the ritual that would break Klaus’ curse. I’m giving in now, but only because he’s promised that he’s found a way for me to survive it this time.”

“Aside from Kat being my twin, everything I’ve said about my adoption and my life before Mystic Falls is pretty much the truth. My dad knew, because of Johnathan Gilbert’s journals, that I would attract danger because of being a doppelgänger, something confirmed for him by a witch who wishes to remain anonymous. Once he made contact with Grand-Klaus and Uncle Elijah, they told him to find Damon and bring him in as my bodyguard not knowing that, as a doppelgänger, I was born being exposed to soul magic and born as Damon’s soulmate.” Elena said, smiling softly at Damon as she spoke. “Because of a few different things that he’s gone through, including having been turned alongside Stefan by Katherine in 1864, Damon is much stronger than any other vampire his age. He’s only become stronger since he’s started feeding on me last October and since we had our soulmates bond solidified when we got married in May.”

“Wait, you’re letting him feed on her?” Richard asked Klaus, and the Original nodded.

“They’re married, and what goes on behind closed doors with them is none of my business. As soulmates, there are benefits to them feeding on one another that it would be unwise for me to stand in the way of as well. Elena feeds on him just as much, probably a bit more, but the details aren’t important to today’s discussion.” Klaus said, and Richard nodded slowly again as he leaned back in his chair.

“Then what is the point, other than to let me know that my son has triggered his curse?” he asked, and Tyler sighed, knowing that it was his turn to talk again.

“Uncle Mason triggered his curse, too, but I refuse to go it alone the way he is and accepted the offer that Klaus made me. I have this black kyanite ring that allows me to use my enhanced senses and a few other wolf-related traits without being in wolf form, and Klaus is gonna teach me how to use them. Next month, when the Harvest Moon comes, his nephew, Cary, is coming to town to help me with my transformation.” he said, lifting his hand to show off the ring, and his father gaped.

“Mason?” he asked. “How do you know?”

“I told him, and Klaus, because it’s my fault. I thought I was protecting Elena when I did something incredibly stupid by compelling a friend of his, Jimmy, to beat the hell out of Mason and not stop even if it cost him his own life. Mason defended himself, and Jimmy died. Now, admittedly, I picked Jimmy on purpose because I’d overheard him planning to leave his girlfriend because she might’ve been pregnant and let that cloud my judgement due to my own past as an abandoned single mother; if she actually was pregnant, that baby is better off thinking that their daddy was someone who loved their mommy and would’ve loved them rather than knowing that he was actually a deadbeat who wasn’t ever gonna stick around and be a parent. I offered to get him help, to get him a teacher or guide for all of this, but he refused.” Katherine admitted.

“How was forcing my baby brother to become a werewolf protecting Elena?” Richard asked.

“George Lockwood helped me escape the roundup in 1864, and Klaus spent a very long time hating your family because of that. It interfered with his plans, and I felt that I stood a better chance at bargaining for Elena’s life if I could provide him with a Lockwood wolf to use in breaking his curse. I’d accepted that I would likely die, but I wasn’t going to leave this world without knowing that my baby, the little girl I’ve spent seventeen years protecting, would be safe. Until I turned myself in last Friday, more or less, I had no idea that Elena and Klaus were as close as they are and that he would never hurt her. Do I regret what I did to your brother, somewhat, but would I change what I did? No, honestly, I wouldn’t.” the older Petrova said, but it was clear that Richard was not happy with her initial plan of sacrificing his baby brother.

“How could you…” he trailed off as he grabbed a wooden stake from his desk drawer, but a hand clamped down on his wrist and squeezed until he dropped it back into the open drawer.

“Dad, don’t even think about it. You heard what Kat said: not only did she offer Uncle Mason help once he’d triggered his curse, help that he refused, but she was also the one who took me to see Klaus last night and compelled Vicki Donovan to keep both our secrets safe. Kat is my friend, and I will never speak to you again if you kill her.” Tyler threatened, and Elena looked over at her grandmother to see the shocked look on her face.

“I’ll go; there’s research to be done anyway, and I promised to take Anna shopping for her and her mom, so I really should head back.” Katherine said as she stood from the couch. “Yes, we’ll both be back for dinner. Kol said that it was gumbo night, and Stefan told me that missing it would be one of the five biggest mistakes of my life.”

“Alright, love, run along then.” Klaus told her, and she gave him and Elena both affectionate kisses on the cheek while patting Damon on the shoulder.

“Let me walk you out, Kat.” Tyler said, and she gave a small nod before allowing him to walk her to the front door.

“What just happened?” Richard asked, eyes stuck on the doorway his son had just walked through after threatening him.

“You will never need worry of Katerina ever harming Tyler, nor him hurting her, and that is all you need to know. Now, as I can hear Tyler handing over an artifact hidden here in 1864 by Damon on behalf of a witch he knew at the time, I think that today’s business is just about wrapped up at this point.” Klaus told him.

“All of this was for an artifact?” Richard asked, but Klaus shook his head.

“No, I just felt that, parent to parent, you might want to know where your son will be spending a great deal of his time for the foreseeable future.” he said as he stood up, turning towards Tyler as the youngest Lockwood returned and leaned against the doorframe. “You are more than welcome to accompany me when I leave if you wish to start your training now, and you’re also invited to dinner tonight if you so wish to attend.”

“Let me grab a jacket.” Tyler said, looking over at his dad before leaving the room. “Between you being more concerned over your brother triggering his curse than your son doing the same thing and you trying to kill one of the people that’s been there for me more in the last sixteen hours than you and Mom have been for sixteen years, I’m close to losing what little cool I have left. If I don’t go now, I might kill you for what you just tried doing, Dad, but tell Mom I’ll be home after dinner and that I’m not with Vicki so she can stop worrying about that.”

“As someone who’s on the council, Mayor Lockwood, I wouldn’t mention any of this to your wife. She hasn’t exactly made her opinions on the supernatural a secret during our meetings, and I think despising vampires for our ‘unnaturalness’ would apply to werewolves, too. From what I remember, you don’t have a prenup, and she would definitely take you to the cleaners if she didn’t kill you first.” Damon said as he and Elena stood. “Also, as far as the non-supernatural stuff, don’t mention that Elena and I are married. We’re keeping that quiet for a reason.”

Richard nodded numbly, knowing that he was beaten at every turn. The vampires and doppelgänger left with his son, and he watched from the front hall window as Elena and Damon rode off in the Camaro in one direction while Klaus and Tyler left in the other in the Navigator. Running a hand over his face, the untriggered werewolf made his way back to his office and over to the bar where he fixed himself a strong drink and sank back into his chair. Making a decision, he took a sip from his glass and grabbed his desk phone, dialing his brother’s number and praying that Mason would actually answer for once in his life.

Later that night, about an hour before dinner, Tyler followed Katherine down to the home gym in the mansion. Damon and Elena had gone back to the Gilbert house after leaving the from the Lockwoods, but they’d gone to the mansion early to spar. They’d been downstairs for over an hour when Katherine and Anna had shown up, and it was another half-hour before Klaus sent her and Tyler to tell the two to wash up before dinner. As they neared the door, the werewolf raised an eyebrow as the sound of Nickelback’s “If Today Was Your Last Day” reached his ears. He knew, just from what he’d been told when he’d seen them headed for the basement door, that Damon had been training both Elena and Jeremy in hand-to-hand combat for as long as the two had known of vampires’ existence, but actually seeing Elena physically fighting Damon in the gym still surprised him. The last hit she landed sent the vampire to the floor rubbing his jaw, and it didn’t look to Tyler like Elena had meant to do that.

“Oops.” she squeaked before falling to her knees beside him and placing her hand over his. “Sorry, baby.”

“Sweetheart, as long as I’m not on the other end of that hit, I’m proud that you’re capable of inflicting pain on a vampire more than a century-and-a-half older than you.” Damon said, smiling flirtatiously at her as he continued. “Besides, it’s not like I’m not man enough to admit that my incredibly sexy wife is entirely capable of kicking my ass.”

“Well, I learned from the best.” Elena said, pulling his hand away from his face and running her fingers over the barely visible ink on his wrist.

“How long are you two planning on standing there? Even Klaus knew that we’d hear him say we needed to get cleaned up for dinner when he sent you.” Damon called, never once shifting his gaze from Elena as she continued her ministrations on his tattoo.

“What’s on your wrist?” Katherine asked, rolling her eyes at Klaus’ snickering from upstairs.

“Stefan’s not the only one with a tattoo in this family. While nowhere near as ostentatious at the giant rose on his bicep, I have a white-lace style tattoo on my wrist. I’m not gonna tell you what it says, but it’s something important to both me and Elena.” he replied, thankful when Katherine gave a short nod and told Tyler that they were going back upstairs.

“C’mon, Mr. Salvatore, you heard King Niklaus’ orders. We’ve gotta get cleaned up for dinner.” Elena said once she was sure they were alone again. “We both need a shower.”

“Whatever you say, Mrs. Salvatore.” Damon chuckled, hauling them both off the floor before letting her take him by the hand and guide him out the basement door and around the curve of the lake towards where their house was carefully hidden.

Forty-five minutes later, Damon and Elena returned to the mansion and slipped into their seats at the dinner table with fifteen minutes to spare. Promptly at seven o’clock, Klaus snapped his fingers and signaled for dinner to be brought to the table. The only people at dinner that night who hadn’t tasted Klaus’ gumbo before were Katherine, Anna, and Tyler, and all three were being watched closely by the others as they ate. After the first few bites, Katherine turned to look down the table at Stefan.

“Definitely would’ve been a mistake to miss this, Stef, you’re absolutely right.” she told him, and the younger Salvatore grinned.

“Katherine Pierce just admitted that I was right about something. I say that we commemorate this auspicious occasion often and with alcohol.” he chuckled, and Damon rolled his eyes.

“Yeah, that’s never gonna happen.” he said to his younger brother, and Klaus agreed. “Lexi still hates me too much to come around _that_ often, and you’re not allowed to ‘party’ without her here to control you until she can teach Care.”

“Additionally, Stefan, if you treat being acknowledged as right as a rare occurrence, it only increases how others view your chances of being right about something in the future.” the Original Hybrid added.

“Who’s Lexi?” Tyler asked in between bites of gumbo. “This is really good, by the way.”

“Thank you.” Klaus said at the same time Caroline spoke. “She’s Stefan’s best friend who’s responsible for him being on his animal blood diet.”

“Animal blood?” Katherine asked, curious. “That’s how you’ve been surviving?”

“I’m an addict when it comes to human blood, so I don’t have much of a choice. I’m supposed to try drinking from Care, with supervision so I don’t accidentally kill her, as soon as we think I’m ready.” Stefan said, and Caroline placed a hand gently on his shoulder.

“You’re gonna drink from Caroline?” Tyler asked, somewhere between anger and confusion.

“It’s perfectly safe, especially since I’d be feeding from him immediately afterwards. Damon and Elena do it all the time, and we know what’ll happen to me because we’ve done the research. It’ll be an adjustment, but what we get from this will make it all worth it in the end.” Caroline said, her eyes flickering up the table to Elena who gave a short, near-imperceptible nod of agreement.

“We can’t say anything beyond that, though, as we’re all bound under a blood oath to not discuss the matter with anyone who isn’t bound to the same oath.” Stefan added, not expecting the expression that came over Katherine’s face.

“Then I guess it’s a good thing I already know what the end result is and that Klaus added my blood to the pact last weekend.” she said, smiling over at Elena. “Later, I promise.”

“I remember.” Elena agreed, changing the subject. “So, Anna, how’d shopping for your mom go?”

Anna took over the conversation, and the previous subject was dropped for the rest of the meal. Elena knew that Katherine had information on how she and Damon, and evidently Caroline and Stefan, would be able to conceive their children. She couldn’t wait for the tomb to be dealt with so that they could finally talk.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Okay, sweets, I hope you enjoyed this bit of fluff bookending Klaus, Damon, and Tyler threatening Richard Lockwood. Until next time...XOXO


	21. Sicut Apud Liber Veniatis Mollis

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "Well, I'd hope that since we're here anyway/We could end up saying/Things we've always needed to say/So we could end up staying/Now the story's played out like this/Just like a paperback novel/Let's rewrite an ending that fits/Instead of a Hollywood horror..."  
>  -"Someday," by Nickelback

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Hello, sweets, and welcome to Part 1 of Operation Tomb Raider. Enjoy.

Leading into Thursday, everyone in Mystic Falls was talking about one thing: the Night of the Comet Festival. For the members of House Mikaelson, the mood was distinctly different for them than for the rest of the town. Everyone else was preparing for a fun night in the square, but they were preparing for a rescue mission that had the potential to turn into a fight. They had a plan, a backup plan, and a backup plan for their backup plan, but there was still so much about Pearl that was still a mystery.

Klaus had cleared Tyler to return to school during dinner the previous night on the condition that he leave his ring with someone outside of the school until he’d learned to control his enhanced senses and strength. Not to Elena’s surprise, he handed the ring over to Katherine and asked her to keep it safe for him. She agreed with a small smile that told Elena that her grandmother was unsure of her feelings but recognized that they were there. The older Petrova took the chain from her neck where her lapis lazuli pendant hung and slipped the silver ring onto it before putting it back around her neck, and Elena noticed a strange look cross Klaus’ face as he watched them. When Katherine left to take Tyler home after dinner, Elena confronted Klaus about his expression.

“It hit me, in that moment of seeing his ring beside her pendant, that I do genuinely want the two of them to work as a couple. They are the complete culmination of my very existence; Tyler is a werewolf descended from the same line as me, and Katerina is a vampire-witch born of my very blood. The only thing that could be more metaphorically unifying of the supernatural races would be for me to finally have another biological child. Can you imagine the world’s first tribrid?” he told her, and she smiled.

“I can imagine a brand-new baby Mikaelson, who would undoubtedly unseat me from the position of the Littlest Mikaelson, but that new baby Mikaelson can’t happen until we create a transfer spell for Kat’s immortality…and until you actually go out and meet someone. I can ask Jenna if her friend Cammie is still single if you want?” she offered, but he chuckled.

“One step at a time, my darling. The spell must come first, and Katerina’s knowledge of Traveler magic is helpful. I am confident that we will be able to do the ritual before the end of next year if we keep at it, though I still want to find this cure. Perhaps it could be useful in the future for those who were turned accidentally and may want their human lives back?” Klaus said, and she shrugged.

“That’s a smart idea, but, like you said, one step at a time. Tomorrow’s the comet, so we’ve gotta deal with Pearl first, and I’ve got school before that. Jeremy’s ready to head home, so I’ll see you tomorrow, Grand-Klaus.” Elena said, hugging him. “Love you, always and forever.”

“I love you, too, lite lys, always and forever.” he replied, hugging her back briefly before letting her go and watching as she vamped over to the front door where Jeremy and Damon gave him a wave before leaving alongside her.

Thursday after school, Elena found herself in the uncomfortable position of, technically, hiding inside her own home. She and Damon had been in the shower when Carol Lockwood had come by the boarding house to pick up more vervain for the council from Zach, who was downstairs in his garden and couldn’t hear the doorbell, so Damon had been forced to throw on some clothes and answer the door himself. The woman was taking her sweet time leaving, and Damon could hear Elena pacing upstairs as she waited for the mayor’s wife to go so that she could come back downstairs. With both Stefan and Jeremy at football practice, there was no real reason to explain why Elena would be at the boarding house that Carol would’ve accepted. At least, there wasn’t an explanation that she would’ve accepted that also explained why Elena was wearing a pair of yoga pants and one of Damon’s t-shirts without including details of their marriage or of the outfit she was waiting on Katherine to bring her so that they would look identical in Pearl’s eyes in the event she tried killing the older Petrova for escaping instead of suffering with or saving them.

“You know, Damon, we have the Founders’ Party and Heritage Display coming up soon, and we, as to say the council, have been wondering if there are any Salvatore family heirlooms that might be able to be displayed? I know that Lily Salvatore’s engagement ring and wedding band were said to be the most beautiful in town before she passed, and her husband Giuseppe had an impressive gun collection.” Carol asked as Damon slowly inched her towards the front door.

“Ooh, I’m afraid that won’t happen. I’ll see if I can find any Salvatore heirlooms that are worthwhile to display, but not any of those. Giuseppe’s guns were all destroyed in the fire that took out the old Salvatore estate, of that I’m sure, and Lily’s rings are…otherwise in use at the moment by someone in the family.” he told her, and surprise was clear on her face.

“Ah, so there’s a Mrs. Salvatore somewhere using the rings. I suppose I could ask Jenna Sommers about her sister and brother-in-law’s rings for the display.” she said, and Damon gulped.

“I don’t think that’s such a good idea.” he said, doing his best to keep her from getting ahold of the rings. “Jenna only operates the trust that the rings belong to, but everything in the trust belongs to Jeremy and Elena, and I don’t think either of them is ready to see their parents as a part of Mystic Falls’ ‘heritage’ given that they’ve only been gone three-and-a-half months. That’s a little more than insensitive, don’t you think?”

“I suppose you’re right, and maybe Elaine Fell has some items that might fill the void of Salvatore things. I completely forgot about how much must’ve been lost in the fire.” Carol said as they reached the door. “I’ll see you at the next meeting?”

“Of course, and I promise that I’ll check to see what Salvatore heirlooms are still around here.” he assured her, sighing in relief as soon as he’d closed the door behind her.

“I can’t tell if she was phishing or if she’s just stupid.” Elena said as she came up behind him and wrapped her arms around his midsection, and Damon smiled as he saw that she was wearing the very rings Carol had originally asked for moments earlier.

“Well, she wasn’t wrong. My mother’s rings are being worn by the current Mrs. Salvatore; now, whether she realizes that said Mrs. Salvatore is married to me or that said Mrs. Salvatore is you is still up in the air.” he told her, turning towards her. “You look good in my shirt.”

“Guys, we don’t have time for this!” Stefan called as he and Caroline came through the garage door, and Damon let a half-sigh/half-growl slip past his lips.

“Hey, we’ve only got until after Stef and Jer’s game tomorrow, and then I can spend the whole weekend in your shirt.” Elena told him softly.

“Well, not the _whole_ weekend, princess. I was promised a cheerleader at some point.” he teased, and she couldn’t help but smile at the smirk that formed on his face.

“Don’t worry, baby, I haven’t forgotten about that.” she told him, pressing a soft kiss to his lips as the other couple walked into the room.

It wasn’t long after Stefan and Caroline arrived that they were joined by the other Gilbert-Pierce-Mikaelsons involved with the plan. While the two Petrovas went upstairs to change, Klaus ran through the plan once more. The last part that needed to be put into place before nightfall was to present the Bennett witches with Emily’s talisman, and Elena had said more than once since Katherine had gotten the talisman from Tyler the day before that she had a bad feeling about this part.

“Stop worrying.” Katherine told her as they dressed in dark jeans and flowy red tank tops.

“I’m trying, but I can’t help it.” Elena replied, fluffing her freshly curled hair after pulling on her shirt. “Well, this is scary.”

“You’ve always known that we look nearly identical, as have I, but I’ll admit that it is weird to see two of me in the mirror.” Katherine said, carefully applying her dark lipstick as Elena reached for the dark eyeliner that she’d just put on the counter. “We’ll both be fine, I promise, sweet girl; have I ever broken a promise to you?”

“You haven’t, but that doesn’t make it any easier to stop my brain from overthinking… _everything_! I just need all of this to be over so that we can talk, like you promised, because I need to know that everything's gonna be okay and that I’m not about to have to bury anymore family members four months after burying my parents.” Elena told her, and Katherine smiled sadly.

“Put the makeup down, and come here for a second. If I try saying this after you’ve applied your eye-makeup, it’ll just be a disaster.” she said, guiding Elena over to the couch beside Damon and Elena’s fireplace. “I cannot, today or any day, promise you that all of us will come out of whatever we’re facing either alive or unscathed. What I can promise you is that Pearl herself is entirely outmatched. I didn’t make her, so she doesn’t have any of the added benefit that someone I sired has; she’s no older than I am, and she’s nowhere near as powerful because she can’t use magic like a witch. The only way she could even hope to get the upper hand would be to somehow revive the twenty-five others inside the tomb with her, and we’re not planning for that to happen. With as much as we’ve planned and as strong as we all are, you shouldn’t be burying anyone else anytime soon.”

Elena nodded, eyes teary, and Katherine pulled her into a motherly hug. She knew Pearl better than anyone, except possibly Anna, and she knew that their odds for winning this fight were better than good. She just hoped that she had made Elena finally believe it, too.

Katherine finished doing her own makeup and Elena’s, and the doppelgängers made their way downstairs in the same side-by-side manner that they’d done after the Back-to-School party Tuesday night. Katherine herself was interested to see if, when they looked as identical as they looked in that moment, Damon would truly be able to tell them apart. No one said anything as they walked into the room, but the looks on most of their faces told the two Petrovas that they’d confused at least some of them. The doorbell sounded, and Stefan went to answer it. He came back a few moments later with Tyler trailing behind him. The werewolf greeted everyone with a wave before turning to the doppelgängers and walking straight up to Katherine.

“Hey, Kat, since I’m gonna be with Klaus all night anyway, can I get my ring back for now? I’ll give it back to you before I go home, I promise.” he asked, and both Petrovas could hear the whispers as Katherine reached into her shirt and pulled up the chain holding both her pendant and Tyler’s ring.

“How’d you know which one was me?” she asked as she handed the ring over, and he shrugged.

“I don’t know, it just seemed kinda obvious who was who to me. Was I not supposed to know?” he asked, and she shook her head and chuckled.

“No, we never intended on not telling you guys who was who. It’s just that I figured that Damon would be the first one to say something.” she told him, and Elena giggled as Damon vamped over and wrapped his arms around her waist.

“I wasn’t gonna say anything, Kat.” the vampire told her. “Elena knows that I always know her.”

“Well, I figured that you’d probably be able to tell because of your b-oh, shit! Is this what you’ve been worrying about for the last two days?” Katherine replied, turning from Damon to Elena as her eyes went wide. “How did this happen? I don’t have any plans that involved finding- No, forget about it for now. This won’t help us any today, and we can worry about this tomorrow.”

“Welcome to my world. If you think this was ever a part of my plans thirteen years ago, then you’re crazier than I thought.” Damon said with a snort. “Not that I’d change a thing now, but this wasn’t where I saw myself in thirteen years back then…not like this, at least.”

“Children, we have an appointment to keep. Perhaps we can resume this conversation at a later time?” Klaus cut in as Katherine opened her mouth to respond. “Now, we’ll go meet with the Bennetts, you all keep vigilant in town, but do try to enjoy yourselves as well. Should everything go according to plan, we’ll meet you there for a few hours before we have to be at the tomb.”

Everything did not go according to plan. Since Damon was who it had been given to, it was up to him to return Emily’s talisman to her family. He held the necklace out to Sheila, but the pendant tugged the chain from his hand and landed on the ground at Bonnie’s feet. Sheila interpreted this as meaning that the magic held within the piece of amber, Emily’s magic wanted Bonnie and not her grandmother. The younger Bennett witch put the talisman around her neck, and Elena saw something in her friend’s eyes shift. Bonnie put her arms up as if to shield herself from someone or thing, taking a few steps backwards before falling to the ground.

“Bonnie?” she asked. “Is everything okay?”

“No!” the younger witch let out with a shriek. “No, stop! Let go of me!”

“Bonnie, no one’s got you.” Elena said, but Bonnie began trashing about as if trying to escape someone’s grasp, and the dhampir girl was frightened. “What’s wrong with Bonnie?”

“She’s possessed.” Klaus said, his eyes on the talisman. “I think we all know by whom.”

“Emily!” Damon called, and Bonnie froze. “Emily, let her go!”

“She’s still got her. How do we fight a ghost?” Elena asked, looking to Klaus.

“We’d have to speak to her and know that she can actually hear us. Sometimes, with the different planes of existence, verbal communication is difficult, but we might be able to temporarily bridge the two planes for a few moments using another talisman.” he said, reaching out and unclasping Elena’s locket. “Anna, you and Sheila keep watch. You three, grab ahold of me and don’t let go until I say so, am I understood?”

“I thought Aunt Freya had a talisman of her own?” Elena asked as she placed her right hand on his forearm.

“She does, darling, and this one’s mine. Your uncle only thinks that I gave him the real Starling for his eleventh birthday.” Klaus told her, smirking as he felt Katherine and Damon grab onto him as well. “I may have never practiced before I was turned, but your Grand-Klaus does still know a thing or two about witchcraft.”

The world before them shimmered, and suddenly everything was in greyscale. Elena looked up and saw Bonnie being pinned to the ground by a woman she’d only ever seen in Damon’s memories when he’d been helping her with telepathy. Emily Bennett looked up as she heard Elena’s gasp, and she gulped upon seeing Klaus, though not the doppelgängers and Damon.

“You can’t be here.” she said. “This is impossible!”

“Madame, my father was an Alpha werewolf and my mother was the witch who created vampires; don’t talk to me about impossible.” Klaus responded. “Let young Bonnie free, and leave the talisman be.”

“I can’t let that tomb be opened. I promised someone that they’d see someone that they loved if they opened it, and he promised to protect my family because of that. If he finds out that she was never inside, it won’t matter if I let go of Bonnie because he will kill her for what I’ve done by not honoring our deal.” Emily told him, and Klaus turned to his great-grandson-in-law.

“Would you kill Bonnie if we opened the tomb?” he asked, and Damon shook his head.

“Bon-Bon’s got nothing to worry about from me. I think I’d be more afraid of facing Baby Bro’s wrath if I killed his girlfriend; you know how Jeremy gets.” Damon answered, drawing Emily’s attention to him and the Petrovas. “I didn’t protect the Bennett line for this long because of a deal; I did it because it was the right thing to do.”

“Katherine?” Emily breathed out as she saw Damon’s hand resting on Elena’s hip, surprised again. “I never thought you’d have picked this brother over the other one with the way you talked.”

“I didn’t pick either of them.” Katherine said from Klaus’ other side. “Sixteen generations down the line from me, my little Elena chose Damon just like I always knew she would.”

“We weren’t here to open the tomb for Mama Kat.” Elena added, trying not to let her relief show as she saw Bonnie stirring behind Emily. “Anna just wants her mom back, and she’s agreed to letting us stake the others and compel Pearl if it comes to that.”

“My descendants won’t be harmed for my lie?” Emily asked, and Elena nodded.

“Bonnie’s our friend, and she’s my brother’s girlfriend. We’d never do anything to hurt her or her family.” she insisted, and Emily looked down at the girl wearing her talisman.

“Alright, I’ll go. Just don’t forget this: the spirits are always watching.” the old witch said, and she disappeared just as color returned to the world.

“Bonnie, sweetie, are you okay?” they heard Sheila ask.

“You may all let go of me now.” Klaus told them, slipping Elena’s locket back around her neck, and his youngest granddaughter bolted over to her friend as soon as he’d let go of the chain, and Damon wasn’t more than a few seconds behind her.

“What happened?” Bonnie asked.

“The talisman was imbued with Emily’s magic, and she used that to possess you in an attempt to force you to destroy it before we could use it to open the tomb. She thought that, if it was opened and I found out that Kat was never inside, I’d kill you and your family for her not holding up her end of the deal. I told your grandmother in January that I had no intention on seeking revenge on Emily for lying, and we used another talisman to go into the spiritual plane to tell Emily the same thing.” Damon said, smiling as Bonnie looked up at him in confusion. “Yeah, I know I technically have every right to want revenge, but I’ve tried to make it a habit to not kill family no matter how pissed I get. Sheila’s cool, and you’re dating my baby brother, so you’re both pretty much family at this point. Sorry to say it, but you’re stuck with me as long as you’re with Jer, Bon-Bon, and I’ve got a feeling that you two have something real.”

“Thank you.” Bonnie said as she hugged Damon tightly, and the vampire chuckled while gently hugging her back.

Fighting off the ghost of her powerful ancestor had left Bonnie fairly drained, and Sheila took her home to get a few hours’ rest at Klaus’ suggestion. They couldn’t open the tomb until the comet was overhead, so the others returned to town for the festival. Tyler greeted them, handing each of the four a plastic cup with an unlit candle inside it. He used his candle to light Katherine’s, and she in turn lit Damon’s. Elena laughed quietly as Damon lit her candle, and he chuckled as she lit Klaus’.

“Is everything alright with the two of you?” the Original Hybrid asked, and they nodded.

“We’re fine, and it’s nothing. It’s just something from a show we went to see a couple of years ago on Broadway.” Damon said, taking a step away from Elena as he caught a whiff of a familiar perfume nearing them. “It’s your mom, Tyler.”

“ _Great_.” the werewolf said, rolling his eyes before looking apologetically over at Katherine. “Try to ignore most of what she says, but take all of it personally.”

“Noted.” Katherine said with a slight chuckle.

“Damon, I was hoping to run into you here!” Carol Lockwood said as she neared them.

“Well, it is a town event, so where else would I be if not here?” Damon responded.

“I see the Bennetts aren’t here.” she noted, and Jeremy cut in before his brother-in-law or sister could stop him.

“Bonnie wasn’t feeling well earlier, when they were here, and her Grams took her home. Her dad should still be around here somewhere, but Bonnie sent me a text when she got home, and she doesn’t think she’s gonna come back out tonight.” the teenager said.

“Oh, well I do hope that Miss Bennett gets well soon.” Carol replied, doing a double-take as she saw her son standing with the Gilbert-Mikaelson-Salvatore-Saltzman-Sommers group. “Tyler?”

“Hey, Mom.” the werewolf said, half-heartedly waving at his mother.

“I’ve been looking for you all day! Where’ve you been this whole time?” he asked, and he shrugged.

“I was-” Tyler started to say, but he found himself being cut off by the doppelgänger beside him.

“He was with me, Mrs. Lockwood, and I told him to call you, but we got caught up discussing the festival; I guess it just slipped his mind.” she said, and Carol turned towards her, surprised.

“Oh, that’s fine, Elena.” she said, and the werewolf snorted. “Just make sure that he does call me next time.”

“Actually, I’m not Elena.” the vampiress said. “I’m actually Katherine Pierce-Mikaelson, her sister.”

“I’m Elena, Mrs. Lockwood, over here.” the dhampir-witch added, and the mayor’s wife looked between the two for a solid minute before saying anything.

“Klaus, I thought you said something about Katherine being away at boarding school?” she asked, and the Original nodded.

“Aye, I did, but she’s a rather smart girl and graduated a year early. She’s moved home to help me with the arts center.” Klaus answered, looking at both of his granddaughters with a smile. “It’s nice having both girls in the same place for once.”

“Oh, well how wonderful!” Carol replied, refocusing on her son. “Tyler, sweetie, Blair Fell is looking for you.”

“And she can keep looking.” Tyler bit out before he could stop himself.

“Tyler, you’re supposed to be her escort for Miss Mystic Falls, and you should really get to know her. Blair is a wonderful girl, and you might actually like her if you gave her the time of day instead of spending your time with people like Vicki Donovan.” Carol hissed, and Elena saw a darkness bleed into her grandmother’s eyes.

“What’s so wrong with Vicki Donovan?” Katherine asked, and Tyler reflexively place a hand on the small of her back as she continued. “Is it because she’s not from a Founding Family? Is it because her father ran off before her brother was born or because her mother makes questionable choices? Or is it because you all gave up on that girl the second she was born?”

“Miss Pierce-Mikaelson, you’re still new in town, so I doubt that you’ve been able to learn that much about the goings-on just yet, but-” Katherine cut Carol off before she could get any further.

“I talked to Vicki Donovan at the party Tuesday night, and I know exactly what people like you do to people like her and her mother. You look at a single, unwed mother with a baby in her arms, and you’re embarrassed for what it says about your precious little town that she’s even there. What you should be embarrassed about, Mrs. Lockwood, is that your town treats anyone not in the right social circle like second-class citizens and don’t bother to help them if they don’t show enough promise by a certain age. If you notice, Vicki’s not here tonight because, after she and I talked, she decided that she needed to clean up her act so that she can get into college and get the hell out of here before she ends up killing herself because that’s exactly what this town is doing to her. Damon told me about you asking him for heirlooms for the heritage display, and I can’t help but wonder how a photo of Vicki with a plaque under it reading **Victoria Donovan, Driven into a Suicidal Depression by the Founding Families** would look on the table with all the other heirlooms.” Katherine said, the Petrova fire at full blast even as she kept her voice low enough that those outside their group wouldn’t hear what she said to Carol, and she punctuated her words by wrenching away from Tyler and storming off into the crowd.

“Tyler, follow her.” Klaus ordered, and the werewolf nodded.

“Don’t need to tell me twice.” he said, darting off in the same direction as older Petrova.

“Well, Klaus, when you told us all that Katherine had a temper, I wasn’t expecting that!” Carol said, attempting to brush the incident off, but Elena wasn’t ready to let it drop.

“Of course, you wouldn’t have expected that, Mrs. Lockwood.” she said, twisting their family history enough to explain Katherine’s behavior. “You weren’t born to a parent who was in no position to take care of you and another who abandoned you. You haven’t grown up wondering why you weren’t good enough to keep or why you ended up with the family that you did. You haven’t gone your whole life hoping and praying that, one day, someone does finally pick you over everything and everyone. If our family hadn’t found Katherine when we did, she would be just like Vicki Donovan or worse. My parents died almost four months ago, and I’ve still got people asking me if I’m okay. Vicki’s dad left when she was a toddler, and her mom’s barely ever home, yet no one’s asked how she’s doing and actually meant it in years. The difference between us is that I’m from both a Founding Family and a new, wealthy one while she’s not. Before you question me the way you questioned my sister, remember that Sheriff Forbes is my godmother and that my family and I’ve spent nearly every summer on the beach in North Carolina with her and Caroline. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I promised my aunt that I’d go find her when I got here.”

Elena took off in the same direction as Katherine and Tyler before her, and Damon sighed, running a hand over his face. He turned to Klaus, and the supernatural king nodded. Damon turned to Carol, his eyes icy compared to normal, and she shuddered.

“If she’s crying when I find her…” he trailed off, not trusting himself to not say more than he should.

“Can I stay with Klaus? We wanna get some reference shots of the comet to paint later.” Jeremy asked, planting a plausible excuse for them to vanish later, and Damon nodded.

“As long as you’re with Klaus, or Elijah wherever he’s gone, sure. Just text me when you’re on your way home if I haven’t already found you?” he replied, and Jeremy nodded.

“I’ll call, ya know, just to make sure that you hear it.” the teenager said, and Damon rolled his eyes before taking off in search of his wife.

Damon found Elena at the boarding house. He could tell how angry she still was based on the fact that she’d gone straight for his bourbon when she’d gone into the parlor. Silently, he fixed himself a drink and sank down onto the sofa beside her. As soon as he draped his arm along the back of the sofa, Elena curled into his side and pulled his arm down around her.

“Sorry for running off like that, baby.” she told him.

“Don’t apologize, sweetheart. You have no idea how proud of you I feel right now because I know how long you’ve been waiting to take out all your anger at several deserving parties. You are so emotionally strong and have such a big heart that I just can’t help falling deeper and deeper in love with you each time I see you standing up for what you believe in, Elena.” he replied, pressing a kiss to her hair. “If anyone should be apologizing, it should probably be me since I sorta half-threatened Carol Lockwood before I left. I started to tell her that, should I have found you crying, I’d make her life a living hell, but I stopped myself when I realized that telling her that she won’t have a happy life if I don’t have a happy wife would probably give us away.”

“I’ll be okay, and we both know that one drink isn’t enough to faze me, so you still have a pretty happy wife at the moment.” Elena said, smiling as she took another sip of bourbon before continuing. “Although, part of me wants to skip out on the rest of tonight’s plans, drag you upstairs, and pick up where we left off in the shower.”

“Would this be the same part of you that wants to claw out Carol Lockwood’s eyes every time the woman starts mentally undressing me?” Damon asked, getting a growl in response.

“Yes,” she said, angling her face up at him as she spoke, “and it’s the same part that wants to rip your clothes off every single time she starts flirting with you because the vampire part of my brain is telling me ‘Crazy Old Bitch is Trying to Touch Your Mate’ and indicating to the rest of me that the proper response is make my claim as obvious as possible.”

“Claiming, of course, is typically carried out by whose scent you carry for vampires, and sex is one of the fastest ways to establish a claim.” he said, chuckling. “The same can’t be said for suburban housewives.”

“I can’t blame her, or any of the other women on this planet who fantasize about you. They’d all lose their minds if they saw you first thing in the morning before you’ve straightened your hair put on a shirt.” Elena told him, feeling his chest rumble with laughter. “It’s probably a good thing that I’m the only one who gets to see that.”

“That would be exactly how I felt when we went to that concert in Atlanta during your spring break and every guy and a few girls in the building checked you out at least once.” Damon replied with a grin. “That was the same night that we…”

“Oh, I remember, and we should definitely do that again soon.” she said, letting out a dramatic sigh as they heard the sound of approaching vehicles. “I repeat, soon.”

Damon chuckled into his drink, looking over the top of his glass to see Stefan and Caroline entering the room with Klaus behind them. He could hear Jeremy going up the stairs to what he’d claimed as his room, but the distinct lack of Katherine and Tyler was worrying.

“Well, I think that went better than expected.” Klaus said as he sat down across from them on the other couch.

“No one died or lost any limbs.” Stefan pointed out as he sat down in one of the armchairs, pulling Caroline down into his lap as he went.

“Where’s Kat?” Damon asked. “I can’t imagine you losing her again.”

“She’s at the mansion with Tyler, who’s trying to calm her down before she goes nuclear, and Kol, who’s trying to distract her with witch things for the same reason.” came the Original Hybrid’s reply, and Elena straightened herself up as she spoke.

“Is everything still on as far as the tomb goes?” she asked, getting a nod.

“The Bennetts are on their way to the tomb as we speak, and I called Tyler from the car to tell him that he needs to get Katerina to the tomb in the next twenty minutes. When we didn’t find you at the Gilbert house, we assumed that you’d be here. Jeremy packed an overnight bag and agreed to stay here with Stefan and Caroline while we handle the tomb. Are we ready to go?” Klaus responded, and Damon and Elena shared a look before downing their drinks simultaneously.

“Let’s get this show on the road.” Damon said with a smirk.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Next up, sweets, Operation Tomb Raider comes to fruition. Until then...XOXO


	22. Et Ab A Tenebris Eos In Lumen

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "Well everybody's hit the bottom/And everybody's been forgotten/Well everybody's tired of being alone/Yeah everybody's been abandoned/And left a little empty handed/So if you're out there barely hangin' on..."  
>  -"Lullaby," by Nickelback

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: At long last, sweets, we have reached Operation Tomb Raider Part 2. Enjoy.

Stepping out of Klaus’ Lincoln Navigator and into the clearing where Fell’s Church once stood, Elena let out a relieved sigh as she saw Tyler and Katherine waiting with Bonnie and Sheila. The sound of another vehicle behind her announced the arrival of Alaric, Elijah, and Anna. They were so close to being done with the tomb that she wanted to cry and scream out in a pure, exalted happiness. With any luck, once Anna and Pearl were taken care of, she could return to a mostly normal existence for at least three more months. With this in mind, Elena threaded her fingers through Damon’s as they followed Katherine, Tyler and the Bennetts down into the stone cavern beneath the remains of the old church.

“Okay, Elena, we need for you and Katherine to stand here with us.” Sheila called as they reached the circle of torches that Tyler had set up, and Elena pecked Damon on the lips before vamping over to the witches. “Follow Katherine’s instructions, and be careful.”

“Tyler already helped us set up the torches, Sheila and Bonnie have Emily’s talisman, and we have this [one](https://cdn11.bigcommerce.com/s-ebbgwhnb/products/250/images/562/Sterling_Silver_Heart_Pentacle_Pendant_Amethyst__44623.1429820951.500.659.jpg?c=2). It belonged to your Aunt Sofia, and she gave this to me before our father banished me from our home. If you remember what I told you when you were a child, she had just as much power as I did and was just as smart.” Katherine told Elena, holding up an intricate pentagram talisman with a large, rounded amethyst set into its center.

“Isn’t the pentagram just supposed to be drawn into the ground with a torch on each of the five points?” Elena asked, but the older Petrova merely smiled.

“It is, and we’ve done that. What this one will do is boost Sheila and Bonnie’s magic in order to bring the barrier down entirely. Otherwise, it won’t matter what we do because the barrier won’t let any vampire out again.” she explained. “Now, before we get started, I need you to repeat after me, just to make sure you can say the spell: Daĭte mi vashata sila, ostavete ya da teche prez men.”

“Daĭte mi vashata sila, ostavete ya da teche prez men.” Elena repeated, saying the words slowly as to not mispronounce anything.

“Your language proficiency has returned with the memories I gave back to you, I see.” Katherine noted, and Elena smiled.

“It’s my first language because of you, so I don’t think I ever really forgot that part.” the younger Petrova teased, and the older shook her head.

“Why did I let you grow up with Damon, Klaus, and Elijah?” she asked rhetorically.

“Ladies, it’s time.” Sheila called, and the two Petrovas took their places and held Sofia’s talisman between them.

The comet illuminated the sky overhead, and the four witches began chanting as the four vampires and lone vampire hunter looked on in amazement. The walls of the cavern shook the longer that the women chanted, and the stone sealing the doorway into the tomb began to crack. Once the stone was completely split, the witches stopped their chanting and observed their work.

“It worked.” Bonnie breathed out, clearly impressed with her first major bit of magic.

“Of course it worked.” Sheila responded, and Katherine chuckled.

“Don’t you love when their at this stage and everything still amazes them?” she asked, and the head of the Bennett coven smiled in agreement.

“Who’s got the blood for Pearl?” Klaus asked, and Elijah stepped forward.

“I’m going in with Anna, but she’ll deliver it to her mother for safety reasons.” he said, turning towards Alaric as he continued. “You have your stakes?”

“I’m locked and loaded, metaphorically, and the gas is in the hatch.” the hunter replied.

“Bonnie, can you help me with the gas cans?” Klaus asked the younger Bennett witch, and she followed him out of the tomb’s antechamber without hesitation.

“I’ll head out, too.” Sheila said with a chuckle. “I do have classes to teach tomorrow, and accidentally becoming a walking blood bag won't help me grade papers.”

“Thank you, Mrs. Bennett, for helping me get my mom back.” Anna told her, and Sheila smiled sadly at her.

“You’re welcome, Miss Zhu.” she said to the vampire before leaving. “It doesn’t matter how old we are, there’s never a time in our lives where we don’t need our mothers for something.”

About the time Sheila left, Klaus and Bonnie returned with the two gas cans that Alaric had brought. Only once they had returned did Elijah go into the tomb with Anna to find her mother. They returned in under ten minutes with a woman staggering between them. Klaus motioned for his brother to take the Zhus back into the clearing as he stepped in front of the two Petrovas to ensure that Pearl did not see them just yet. Once they were up the stairs, he turned to Alaric and Damon.

“There should be tw- no, Elijah’s just told me that at least one had enough left in him to try getting Pearl’s blood bag only to have his heart ripped out, so there should be twenty-four vampires still in there that we need to kill. That’ll be eight a piece, and then we’ll torch the place just to be on the safe side. Tyler, stay with the girls.” Klaus gave the orders, and he disappeared into the tomb with the vampire and the hunter following.

Elena stood with the witch, the werewolf, and her grandmother, waiting as patiently as she could for her husband, ex-stepfather, and great-grandfather to reappear. She listened to every hoarse scream that flowed from the tomb as one vampire after another was staked. Everything was going exactly as she’d been told that it would, and she wasn’t feeling nearly as much anxiety as she had been that afternoon when she’d spoken with Katherine. Then, a new cry broke through the air. This one was sharper, louder, and more agonizing than the others. It was from someone with a lot more life in them than a desiccated vampire.

“No!” Elena gasped, taking off into the tomb before Tyler, Katherine, or Bonnie could react, her legs pumping faster as she ran through the darkness in search of the source of the screams that she knew had come from her husband.

Rounding a corner, she found herself standing in the main chamber of the tomb where Alaric knelt beside Damon while Klaus held the heart of the last tomb resident in his clenched fist. A stake was sticking out of Damon’s stomach, and he was groaning in pain. Elena felt tears spring to her eyes, but she blinked them away. Crying would do her no good, and she knew what she needed to do despite Klaus’ calls for her to return to the others and wait for them like she’d been told. Vamping over and dropping to her knees across from Alaric, she put her hand on the stake.

“This is only gonna sting for a second, baby, I promise. I’ll make it stop, but you can’t get mad at me, not this time.” she told Damon, and he nodded.

“AH! Son of a bitch!” Damon hissed as she ripped the stake from his stomach.

“I told you that it’d hurt!” Elena said, opening her mouth and baring her fangs before biting into her own wrist. “Drink.”

Damon wasted little time in bringing her wrist to his lips, the sweet taste of her blood coating his throat. His wound began to heal, but he pulled away when he felt Elena’s heart rate drop. Her wrist continued to bleed after he detached, and he reacted without thinking by biting into his own wrist and bringing his new wound to her already open mouth. She latched on at the first taste, but she let go after less than a minute once the gash on her wrist had healed.

“So much for the plan, huh?” he asked, a half-smirk forming on his face.

“Can you stand?” Klaus asked, and Damon nodded as Elena helped him to his feet. “Good, now get up to the clearing. I’ll have words with both of you once we’ve dealt with Pearl.”

“Yes, sir.” Elena said, taking Damon’s arm and leading him out of the tomb before either of them could get in any further trouble.

“What happened?” Katherine asked when they reached the antechamber, but Elena shook her head. She understood that they’d talk later, and the two continued on up the stairs and out into the clearing where Elijah had given Pearl a second blood bag.

Elena led Damon over to Alaric’s Tahoe, and the pair sat down on the still-opened hatch. Bonnie and Tyler returned to the clearing a few minutes later, and Alaric, Katherine, and Klaus joined them a few minutes after that with the two men carrying the empty gas cans. Elena watched in mild awe as Katherine flicked her wrist at the tomb’s entrance and sent the whole thing up in flames. Knowing that the fire would burn for a while, the vampire/witch hybrid made her way over to her granddaughter, followed by Tyler, and checked both her and Damon over for injuries. Looking past Katherine while she checked Damon over, Elena waived good-bye to Bonnie and Sheila as they got into Bonnie’s Prius and made the drive back to town.

“What happened?” she asked, and Damon answered.

“One of the vamps down there had been feeding on rats and other rodents that found a way inside, and he got the drop on me. He got my stake away from me and stabbed me in the stomach. Elena heard me scream, obviously ran in before you guys could stop her, and pulled the stake outta me before biting into her wrist and having me drink from her so that I’d heal faster. She wasn’t healing, so I fed her my blood. It left us both weak, and Klaus told us to come up here. We’re probably in trouble.” he said, shrugging as if it didn’t bother him, but Elena knew better.

“We’re not in trouble. If anything, Grand-Klaus just got scared that we could’ve both died and sent us up here in case there were anymore rogues down there that could’ve killed us,” she told him, leaning heavily into his side.

“Whether you’re in trouble can wait.” Katherine told the pair. “Pearl seems to be becoming more alert, and that means that it’s showtime.”

The group of four made their way over to where Elijah was attempting to explain to Pearl the deal her daughter had made. The vampiress looked at her daughter with confusion in her eyes, then she caught sight of the inflamed tomb. She looked back at Anna in disbelief.

“How could you, Annabelle? They were our family!” she cried out, but her daughter shook her head.

“No, Mama, they weren’t our family. Our family is me and you, no one else! What did those people ever do for us? Nothing! They couldn’t even protect you from the mob that put you in that tomb!” Anna exclaimed, her anger bubbling up within her.

“They weren’t the ones who got me put in there, Annabelle.” Pearl snapped. “That was all Katherine Pierce and the youngest Salvatore boy.”

“I’ll admit that I didn’t do more to help you get out, Pearl, but Stefan was just a boy. Blaming children is rather unbecoming of a woman, a mother especially.” Katherine said coldly, though Pearl was at a loss as to which Petrova was the real Katherine as the vampire had finished speaking before Pearl had turned to see her standing beside Elena.

“What would you know about being a mother?” she threw back. “You’ve never put another person before yourself in your entire li-AHHH!”

Pearl dropped to her knees, screaming as she clutched her head. Katherine’s head swiveled around to see Elena staring intently at Pearl as she writhed around on the grass. Their charade was up at this point, and she knew that she had to stop Elena before she completely destroyed Pearl’s mind.

“Elena Beth Gilbert-Mikaelson-Petrova-Salvatore, you stop that this instant!” she ordered, and Elena jumped, losing concentration and ceasing the spell she’d been using on Pearl.

“Sorry, Mama, but she had no idea what she’s talking about, and I couldn’t let her disrespect you like that.” Elena responded, and Pearl looked between the two wearily as she sat up, still clutching at her head.

“Forgive my little one, Pearl, please.” Katherine said, though she gave her granddaughter a small smile. “She’s young, new to her powers, and fiercely protective of her family. She’s a lot like me, and a lot like our great-grandfather, in that respect.”

“Little one?” Pearl asked. “Great-grandfather?”

“Elena and Katerina are both of my descent, I’m afraid.” Klaus said as he stepped up to stand between the girls. “Hello, Pearl, it’s nice to finally meet you after all dear, sweet Anna’s had to say this last week. I’m Niklaus Mikaelson, King of the Supernatural.”

“You-you’re related to her? You chased us through Europe and into the Americas because of her, yet now you’re protecting her?” Pearl questioned. “Why?”

“Over a thousand years ago, I had a daughter with a beautiful young witch named Tatia, and this daughter was hidden away by my brother, Elijah, and the request of Tatia and myself. She grew up and had children of her own, and her line led straight to a young witch named Katerina Petrova, and her line passed on through her only daughter and led to another young witch whose full name was just shouted through this clearing as the top of Katerina’s lungs.” Klaus said, and Katherine rolled her eyes and smiled.

“That was so not the top of my lungs, Klaus, and you know that.” she said, but he waived her off with a chuckle.

“For all that she has done wrong in her life, the one thing that Katerina has always done right is being there for her descendants or, as she calls them, her babies. Elena is the youngest, and she doesn’t take kindly to anyone physically or verbally attacking her Mama.” Klaus said, wrapping an arm around each doppelgänger for a brief three-way hug before stepping in front of them as though to defend them if necessary. “Though, I do wonder when you had time to learn the aneurysm spell, lite lys?”

“Yeah, don’t ask Kol about when she learned it. It’ll just bring up bad memories for him, ones I’m sure he’d like to forget.” Damon said as he stepped forward on Elena’s other side and intertwined their fingers. “Someone of his age really should know how to knock by now.”

“Who in this family haven’t you two scarred for eternity?” Elijah asked with a snort.

“I didn’t think we’d scarred you yet, but we can arrange something if you feel left out, Elijah.” Damon responded, and Elena shot him a warning glance that made him chuckle before dropping a kiss onto her hair. “Sorry, princess, that was uncalled for, I know.”

“As long as you’re aware that what you did was wrong, Mr. Salvatore, I think we’ll be okay.” she said, leaning into Damon as she spoke.

“Then I guess we’re okay, Mrs. Salvatore.” he told her, and Pearl gaped as she recognized Damon.

“Damon Salvatore?” Pearl asked in disbelief. “You turned him, Katherine?”

“Technically, it wasn’t my fault. He and Stefan tried saving us, but Giuseppe shot and killed them. When they woke in transition, Stefan killed his father to complete the transition for himself before forcing Damon to go through with his. They’re on better terms now than they have been since before I met them, and I’ve never seen either of them as happy as they are these days, Damon especially. Of course, he’s not what you would call ‘happy’ about having the mother-in-law from hell, but he’s the only one I can truly trust with my sweet little Elena.” Katherine explained, and the blue-eyed vampire scoffed.

“Please, Kat, _you’re_ not the mother-in-law from hell. Compared to what Isobel did almost two years ago now, you’re an angel.” he said, and she narrowed her eyes at him.

“What did Isobel do two years ago?” she asked, noticing the way Damon reflexively wrapped his arms around Elena.

“She, likely at the urging of John Gilbert, sought me out to turn her. I refused once, and she asked me why. I told her that I wouldn’t take away someone’s mother, and she responded by saying that she had no children to leave behind. When I told her that I was living with the Gilberts and knew that she’s Elena’s biological mother, I said that the only way I’d turn her would be if she’d tell Elena to her face why she was doing it. She said that Elena wasn’t her daughter, but that she was the result of a drunken summer fling that she’d spent fifteen years regretting. She was either telling the truth, or she’s convinced herself of it to the point that she showed no physiological response that would normally indicate a lie.” he explained, rubbing his hand up and down Elena’s arm as he continued. “She said all this in the foyer of the Gilberts’ penthouse, and Elena was on the other side of the door leading into the living room. I gave Isobel the number of a friend, Lexi, who I thought might turn her if she asked and might be able to teach her the basics before turning her lose, and she left. The rest of my night was spent holding Elena while she cried herself to sleep, and I didn’t let go of her until she woke up because I’d have gone out and killed Isobel myself if I had.”

“Pearl, your only chance of survival is to do as Klaus asks. I can’t stay because, right now, I need to hit something until I’m no longer palpably angry, but I wish you the best.” Katherine said as she turned from her former friend to the werewolf that had rushed to her side in the middle of Damon’s story. “Tyler, I need you to take me back to the mansion, to take me to the gym, and to not let me out of your sight until Klaus is home. I need to be here, in Mystic Falls, and I am way too tempted to track down Isobel and kill her right now to stay if I’m left alone.”

“Do you wanna hold hands while we run, or am I carrying you, Kat, because I’m not letting you run by yourself if you’re that sure _that_ you’ll bolt.” he asked, and she reached out and took his right hand in her left, running her thumb over his black kyanite ring.

“Let’s go.” she told him, and the two took off through the trees a moment later.

“What was that?” Elijah asked once he was sure that they were out of hearing range.

“That, brother, would be our dear Katerina with her soulmate. It’s not so much that young Mister Lockwood can physically keep her from leaving as it is that she isn’t emotionally capable of going anywhere without him. Even if she left, she’d come back within a few days; otherwise, as we’ve seen with Damon and Elena, she wouldn’t be able to handle the literal pain of being separated from him.” Klaus explained, entertained by the way his older brother’s eyes widened at his words.

“Katerina and the Lockwood boy? Seriously?” he asked, and Klaus nodded.

“He doesn’t know just yet, so we’re not talking about it around him and avoiding the subject as much as we can. I have a few theories about all this, but there are other matters that require our attention first.” the Original Hybrid said as he turned to Pearl and Anna. “Madame, your daughter has pleaded for your life, forfeiting the lives of those in the tomb with you because she knows that any plans that you may have had to take over Mystic Falls and punish the Founding Families would not be treated kindly by the Crown and would only result in your own deaths.”

“The Founding Families are a danger to our kind and must be exterminated. There is no other way, Your Majesty, not with these people.” Pearl argued, but the hybrid only laughed.

“Four of the five Founding Families are a part of House Mikaelson and have pledged their loyalty to me. My Elena was raised by Grayson and Miranda Gilbert, who I considered to be members of my family, and I love her little brother as though he were one of my own children. Damon is married to Elena, and Stefan is the soulmate of Miss Caroline Forbes, who I have known since she was a child; their sister, Amalia, has a great-granddaughter named Alessia who is currently dating my brother, here, Elijah. Lastly, between the fear that Richard Lockwood has of me and the gratefulness that his son, Tyler, has shown me since Tyler triggered his werewolf curse earlier this week, they are aligned with me as well. Only the Fells remain on the outside, along with a handful of members from the other families. Zach Salvatore wants nothing to do with the supernatural as a whole and is moving to North Carolina soon to be closer to his daughter, Sarah; despite being Elena’s biological father and Grayson’s brother, John Gilbert is admittedly at odds with House Mikaelson due to his hatred for anything out of the ordinary; and Bill Forbes hasn’t even met me before because he spent most of his daughter’s childhood hiding the fact that he’s a homosexual and, once he no longer felt the need to hide this, abandoned her to live in Georgia with his boyfriend…though we are actually happy for them finally getting to be open about who they are. All of us were excited when Bill finally came out, and he still maintains contact with Caroline via various communication methods developed since you’ve been in that tomb.” Klaus told her, watching as her eyes filled with amazement. “Should he ever return to Mystic Falls, Bill would be under my protection whether he realizes this or not, as would his boyfriend. As for Carol Lockwood and her brother-in-law, Mason Lockwood, one of them is entirely unaware of there being vampires in town while the other refused Katerina’s help when offered to him upon triggering his curse.”

“You’ve infiltrated the Founding Families and taken over the town without anyone realizing it.” she said, and he nodded. “That is…most incredible, Your Majesty.”

“Before this place was even a town, it was a village shared by the natives, werewolves, witches, and regular humans. This is where vampires were created, by my mother no less, and this is where I have called home in my heart from the day I was born. In a way, the town is almost mine by right.” Klaus said, pausing for a moment before moving forward with presenting her with her options. “Your choice is simple, either you and your daughter leave Mystic Falls on your own, or…I can send you to California to act as emissaries on my behalf and see to it that my laws are followed to the best of your abilities.”

“Don’t worry, Mama.” Anna added. “Whatever you decide, I can handle the big stuff while we get you caught up on the last century and a half.”

“You would be permitted to live in the official Los Angeles residence of the royal family, Madame, and my family and I always have the best of everything.” Klaus said, and Pearl let out a long breath before responding.

“I think…I think I’d like California.” she said finally, and Anna squealed.

“I was so hoping you’d pick that one!” she told her mother. “It’s nothing like it was in the old days, Mama; I’ve got so much to show you, and so much to teach you!”

“Very well then, Mrs. Zhu, to California you and your daughter will go.” Klaus said. “Anna has purchased some clothing for you, I believe that everything is back at Katherine’s home, so Elijah will go with you, and he will escort you to your new home himself.”

“Wish the boys good luck for me, will you, Niklaus, and be sure to tell Rebekah, Caroline, and Bonnie that they’re the best cheerleaders in the history of the sport? I should be back by the end of next week.” Elijah said, and Klaus nodded as his brother left with the two vampiresses.

“So, what do we do now?” Alaric asked, him being the only one of the group still standing in the clearing with Klaus, Damon, and Elena.

“Well, we have to wait for the fire to burn down before we can check on the state of those down there. You can always go home if you wish, Ric, but I’m going to have a little chat with our beloved Mr. and Mrs. Salvatore about safety and self-preservation skills.” Klaus said, and Alaric smirked.

“I think I’ll stick around for this.” he said, and Elena groaned.

“This is why Isobel left you, Ric.” she said, shaking her head and smiling. “You’re too good a dad to not have kids. You’ve even already mastered the disappointed dad look.”

“We wouldn’t have that look on our faces if you two hadn’t almost died down there, Elena.” Klaus cut in, and Elena looked down guiltily. “Now, I know that I can’t entirely fault you for what happened because not only did we not account for there being anyone down there in any shape to fight, but I also know that you could not have possibly stopped yourself from running into that tomb when you heard Damon’s screams. The part that I _can_ fault you for is drinking from one another in that state. You could’ve mutually drained one another dry, and then I’d be burying the both of you instead of asking if you’ve even started thinking of baby names and nursery themes! You have children that you’ve yet to bring into this world, but I’m not sure if either of you remembers that half the time just based on your behavior!”

“Rosella.” Elena said, cutting off Klaus’ tirade.

“What?” he asked.

“Our firstborn’s name is Rosella, we’ll call her Rose, and her nursery will be decorated with birds, flowers, and teddy bears.” Elena said, this time louder. “If you think for even a second that Damon and I don’t talk about our children every chance we get when we have a moment alone, if you think that we’re not taking our future seriously, then you’re wrong.”

“I had no idea.” Klaus responded, a faint smile forming. “When did you even find out for certain that your first will be a girl?”

“It was supposed to be a surprise for you guys, but it’s a bit late to not tell you now. We called Rachel and asked her for the order of the children as she saw in her vision. By the time I’m finally turned, we’ll have two daughters and a son, and our little boy is going to be the middle child.” Elena told him, and his smile grew wider.

“We still have no fucking clue how Elena’s getting pregnant, but we’re doing everything we can to prepare ourselves for when it’s finally time for our kids to be here.” Damon added, raising an eyebrow as he saw the expression that crossed his wife’s face. “What’s going on in there, princess?”

“Mama knows something about how I’ll get pregnant. She knew about the kids before I even knew you, and that I know from the memories she returned. Every time she mentioned your name for as long as I understood the concept of names, she compelled the memory away so that I wouldn’t know you before I needed to, and she told me that I would be a big girl one day and live happily ever after with you and our own babies. I was hoping to talk to her about what she knows sometime soon, and she promised that we would once Anna and Pearl had gone.” Elena told him.

“You two go on home; I’ll watch the fire.” Klaus said, and the two did as told upon realizing that they were escaping any longer lecture that he might’ve had.

“I guess I’ll head back, too.” Alaric said after a moment. “Unless you want me to stay, that is?”

“No, I’ve got this fairly well handled. You go home, get some rest, and think up a cover story for Elijah for work.” Klaus said, and the hunter nodded.

“Alright then, goodnight, Klaus.” he said as he made his way back to the Tahoe. “I’ll text you the cover story once I’ve got it.”

While Elena slept that night, Damon sat awake in the bed beside her with his journal propped against his knees. He hadn’t written in quite some time, but it had been a while since he needed to get anything out of his head the way he did in that moment. As his pen moved along the page, he did his best to let go of his worries that he knew would do him no good.

_My Dearest Mama,_

_Things have changed, both in my life and in the world. The last time I wrote, I told you about Elena’s parents being killed. Since then, so much has happened. Stefan found his soulmate, and I know that you’d have loved her. Caroline is everything he isn’t, and that works for those two because it means that he can be as quiet and studious as he wants because she’s outgoing enough for the both of them. I do love Caroline like she’s my little sister, and so does Mia; we’re both happy that Stef’s finally found The One, but I can tell that Mia feels like she’s missing out by not having any man in her life that she isn’t related to or isn’t posing as a teenager. Things are good between Alessia and Elijah, though the idea of my wife’s uncle dating my niece is still weird to me._

_Elena is actually why I’m writing right now. She’s sleeping beside me, exhausted from the day we’ve had. She almost died tonight, almost bled out in my arms. I have never been that fucking scared in my life, Mama, not even when she slit her wrist. Elena means everything to me, and the thought of living one second of this life without her is utterly terrifying. I don’t think I’ll ever be good enough for her, my mistake is what almost got her killed, but I’ll be damned if I don’t at least try. I mean, honestly, I’m supposed to be her protector and Klaus’ head of security. How can I do any of that if I can’t sense a rogue vamp on Stef’s squirrel diet sneaking up behind me? Klaus says that it’s not our fault, but I feel like it’s still on me and that’s probably because I recognized the guy that attacked me; he was in my unit during the war, and it took me by surprise when I saw him in the tomb. I hesitated, and it almost cost Elena her life, never mind my own._

_Elena and I are going to spend the weekend at our house, where no one can find us or get too close without permission. I’ll talk through all of this with her, and she’ll help me make sense of it all like she always does. I’ll spare you the details of what else we’ll do this weekend because no mother wants to hear what her son and his wife get up to behind closed doors. Hell, I barely wanna know what’s going on with Stef and Care or Jer and Bon-Bon, and I’m only their brother._

_I’ll write more soon, Mama,_

_Your Little Raven – D.S._

He closed his journal as he finished his entry, slipping the black, leather-bound book and pen into his bedside table drawer. Rolling over in the bed, Damon pulled Elena close, smiling as she curled into his chest. His last thought as he closed his eyes and drifted off to sleep was a quote from _Call of the Wild_ that frequented his mind whenever he had a moment to appreciate the fact that he had Elena in his arms and had her love all to himself: _Love, genuine passionate love, was his for the first time_. Damon sighed contentedly as he slipped into dreamland, silently thanking Nature for allowing him the chance to build the family he’d longed for but feared would never have.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: And with that, sweet, Operation Tomb Raider is at its end. Anna and Pearl are as far removed from being a threat to Mystic Falls as they can be without being dead, and Damon is writing in his journal again. Until next time, in which there will be a Friday Night Football Game...XOXO


	23. Ego Uideo Argentum Oblinit

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "That trying not to love you, only went so far/Trying not to need you, was tearing me apart/Now I see the silver lining, of what we're fighting for/And if we just keep on trying, we could be much more/'Cause trying not to love you/Oh, yeah, trying not to love you/Only makes me love you more/Only makes me love you more..."  
>  -"Trying Not to Love You," by Nickelback

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Okay, sweets, we have reached the third episode of the series by Chapter 23, and we're getting dangerously close to the end of this story. Don't worry, though, because there is still plenty to come in this series. For now, it's time for a small town Friday Night football game. Enjoy!

Something that Damon had learned over his many years was that, no matter how many festivals or parties happened in a small town throughout the year, nothing excited the locals more than Friday Night Football at the high school. He woke up Friday morning before everyone else and made sure that breakfast was on the table by the time that Jeremy made his way through the front door with Caroline, Bonnie, and Tyler joining him. Breakfast had a time-tested routine in the Gilbert household, and it always started with Damon and/or Elena cooking the food while Jenna, who was more like her sister than she realized, drowned herself in at least two cups of coffee before eating. Jeremy wasn’t allowed coffee on game or meet days, but when the trade-off was a cup of coffee for Damon’s maple-bourbon whole-wheat oatmeal, he was always willing to settle for a glass of milk or orange juice. He’d told Jeremy the night before that he needed to come home for breakfast, and he’d expected Caroline to join him. It had been the two other additions that he hadn’t counted on that sent him fleeing the kitchen. While Elena was in the shower, Damon snuck upstairs to hide out in their bedroom.

“Damon, is everything okay?” she called as the water shut off, and he slipped into the bathroom just as she was wrapping a towel around her body.

“Well, the view just got a lot better, that’s for sure.” he said with a cheeky smile, and she rolled her eyes, so he continued. “Caroline and Jeremy are downstairs, eating their gameday breakfast, and I ran up here to hide because I’m suddenly glad that I made extra.”

“I’m not sure how those two things coroll-ah, I can hear Bonnie and Tyler downstairs.” she chuckled, and he nodded.

“I wasn’t planning on feeding a witch and a werewolf that don’t live here, but I guess I am now.” Damon told her. “Stef’s out hunting, and he’s going again this afternoon just to be sure that he’s ready for the game. He hasn’t fed in a few days with the Katherine/Anna/Pearl drama going on, so he’s doing what he has to today.”

“Their lunches are prepped and in the fridge, right?” Elena asked, and he nodded. “Good, then you go get in the shower and calm yourself down before you have a stroke that you shouldn’t even be capable of having. I’m gonna get dressed, go downstairs, and make sure that all four of them have lunch for today; we’ll make up the difference later, and I make it up to you that I can’t stay like this later, too. I love you.”

“I love you, too, princess, even if you are being so mean as to put your education first today after complaining about just that at the beginning of this week.” he teased, and she shook her head before kissing him lightly.

“That’s why we have the whole weekend as soon as the game’s over, baby.” she reminded him as she slipped out of the bathroom and into the bedroom, and he chuckled as he began undressing.

When Elena got downstairs, dressed in a pair of jeans and a red-and-white striped cardigan over a gray t-shirt, she greeted the table of athletes while getting down six lunch boxes. Tyler and Bonnie watched in confusion as the hybrid packed each one, and Caroline and Jeremy laughed quietly. Jenna shook her head at all of the teens, refilling her coffee mug as she got herself a bowl of oatmeal. Elena looked up, ignoring the laughter coming from her brother and godsister, and asked who wanted a fruit cup versus a pack of whole-wheat peanut butter crackers.

“Is it a strawberry or peach fruit cup?” Caroline asked, the strange looks being transferred to her.

“Peach.” Elena answered. “You hate strawberries, and Jeremy only eats them when he has to, so Damon and I didn’t buy any of the strawberry ones.”

“Fruit cup for me then, Lena.” the blonde said happily. “Thanks!”

“Same!” Jeremy called, and Elena made a noise that suggested she’d heard him.

“Am I the only one that’s confused?” Bonnie finally asked, Tyler shaking his head.

“Damon and I always do game day meal prep so that Jer’s always eating right before a wrestling meet or other sporting event, and we’d figured that Care would get added to this now that we’re in Mystic Falls.” Elena answered with a shrug. “I’m adding you two to the plan, since you’re already here, and I’ve gotta pack a lunch for Stef so he doesn’t rouse anyone’s suspicions.”

“Why do you have so many lunch boxes?” Tyler asked, and Jeremy laughed.

“Stefan wasn’t originally on board with having to actually eat a lunch, and since he’s being forced into it, Damon’s fairly sure that he’ll end up losing at least one lunch box before the season’s over, so we bought them in bulk. We’ve got a few cases of these stashed away at the mansion in one of the spare rooms, and Klaus is doing this for Bex and Kol, too, just for appearances.” Elena explained, and the werewolf nodded.

“Ah, okay.” he said, pausing before asking another question. “So, what are we having for lunch?”

“Turkey Club on whole-wheat, fruit cup or whole-grain peanut butter crackers, and a milk flavor of your choosing with the options being chocolate, strawberry, and vanilla.” Jeremy said automatically, glancing over at his sister. “Chocolate, by the way.”

“Same!” Caroline echoed, and Elena looked at the other two.

“Strawberry.” Tyler said with a resigned sigh.

“If no one else is gonna take it, I might as well have the vanilla.” Bonnie responded as Damon reappeared, hair still wet and slightly curled, and wrapped his arms around Elena’s waist.

“Want me to do this so you can eat, princess?” he asked, and Elena nodded as she zipped the third of the six lunch boxes and turned to face him.

“Can you not use your straightener this weekend?” she asked in reply, and he smiled as she began playing with his hair.

“Sure, sweetheart.” he told her, keeping his voice low and continuing upon noticing that Tyler wasn’t wearing his ring. “You spend the weekend wearing my shirts, after the cheerleader thing of course, and I won’t touch my straightener.”

“Deal.” Elena said, pecking him on the lips before slipping out of his arms to fix herself some oatmeal.

Between the time that school let out for the day and the start of the football game, Elena had a few hours of free time. She went with Damon to the Mikaelson mansion, but they parted ways almost as soon as they were inside the house. Klaus called Damon for his help with another project, and Katherine asked Elena for her help in picking out an outfit for the game. Klaus had given Katherine a room at the mansion for her use, and clothes were everywhere when she led Elena into the room that afternoon.

“I have red, I have black, and I have white. How do I wear them together for a high school football game?” she asked, and Elena looked at the options.

“Try the bright red tank top with the jean shorts, and layer the oversized black tee over the tank top with a sorta off-the-shoulder thing. I’d say red flats would look best with that.” she answered, and Katherine took her suggested items into the walk-in-closet to change, coming out after a few seconds. “You look great!”

“You’re wearing jeans, so are shorts appropriate?” Katherine asked nervously.

“I’m changing into capris myself before we leave.” Elena said. “Shorts are more than appropriate for you, and the only reason I’m not wearing them is because Damon and I can’t leave until the game is over because Jer and Stef would never forgive us if we ditched during their first game.”

“Not that many mothers or grandmothers say this, but I’m glad you just inadvertently brought up your sex life.” Katherine said, and Elena raised an eyebrow. “I promised you that we’d talk about what I know abut your children, and we have the time right now. The only people who could overhear us are Klaus and Damon, and they’re either involved or already know that your children are a possibility. The first thing that you need to know is that this goes hand-in-hand with Rebekah’s hypothesis and Isobel’s research into dhampir and vampires being predispositioned to developing soulmate bonds; the number of documented vampiric or dhampiric pregnancies are small, but it’s because a majority of the unreported dhampir children grow up being completely normal and only trigger their transition when they’ve attained a great age. Doctors who witness this refer to it as being the ‘last surge’ before death; the natural dhampir doesn’t consume human blood and dies within twenty-four hours, and no one is ever aware that the dhampir was anything other than human.”

“So, if anything happened to my children and they were killed, they’d wake up in transition to becoming a full vampire?” Elena asked, but Katherine shook her head.

“For a normal dhampir, yes, but not for your children, sweet girl.” the older Petrova explained. “You are a witch, as is our entire line even if they never tap into their powers. Even upon transitioning, should they go through with it, your children will still be half-witch and half-vampire. The one difference between them and any other witch-vampire hybrids is that your children will be purebloods. Just as if Klaus were to have another child, yours will be born with the genetics for both vampires and witches, lacking the werewolf gene only because of Tatia’s spell.”

“So, they’ll always have access to their magic, like us.” Elena said, smiling, and Katherine nodded.

“Yes, but there is one thing in particular that must be done for you to even conceive these children.” she said, and Elena gave Katherine her full attention. “You and Damon will have to feed on one another during climax.”

“Ignoring the fact that my several times great-grandmother who’s kinda been like another mom to me is talking about my sex life, and the fact that this is the same woman who took my husband’s virginity, how do you know all of this?” Elena asked, getting a light laugh out of Katherine.

“The secret of the dhampir has been a part of our family for centuries, Elena, even before my time. The word itself finds it origins in the Bulgarian language, and the key factor that makes dhampir possible is the fact that all vampires are affected by doppelgänger blood because that’s what Grandmother Esther used as the key ingredient in her spell that created vampires. There is a written history of dhampir in our family Grimoire, another thing that your Aunt Sofia smuggled out of the Traveler camps with me. I’ve kept it hidden for centuries, having the bindings redone every five decades or so, and it’s remained our family’s most prized secret. I’ve had vampires try to buy and steal it off of me, and there was even one successful attempt in London about sixty years ago. I stole it back, though, because the idiots who stole it from me weren’t the brightest. I ran into them in the 90s, around the time you were born, and they tried to steal it a second time only to discover that I’d hidden it during the funeral of Zach’s father. It’s been safely ensconced in the Salvatore library for close to twenty-five years, just another leather-bound book collecting dust.” she said, and Elena’s eyes lit up in recognition.

“Bound in white leather?” she asked, and Katherine nodded. “Those two idiots who stole it from you thought that I was you last Halloween and attacked me outside a club in Chelsea that Uncle Elijah took me, Damon, and Grand-Klaus to for a party.”

“I said that they weren’t that bright.” Katherine told her with a shrug. “They couldn’t have read it even if I’d let them look at the pages. You have to actually be able to read Bulgarian first, and neither of them did to my knowledge.”

“They thought that Damon might’ve been under a spell, like what you had Lucy do back in 1994 that almost ruined his and Stefan’s relationship permanently.” Elena said, and Katherine frowned before replying.

“That was never my intention, I promise. The newborn was supposed to go in, scare Stefan, and get out without anyone realizing that he wasn’t the real Damon.” she said, sighing. “I didn’t want Stefan knowing that I was in town, not just because he thought that I was dead but also because I couldn’t have him figuring out where I’d been spending most of my time. While I had no clue why back then, I understand now why when I wasn’t with you, I began hovering in the distance near Tyler; admittedly, I was drawn in from the start, but I never thought twice about it. You were what was important, and I left whenever I felt that you needed me.”

“You told Pearl that you always knew that Damon and I would end up together, and you used to tell me about him all the time before compelling my memories away. When did you find out that Damon was my soulmate?” Elena asked.

“This is going to make me sound awful, but I knew it the first time we had sex. I had a vision of him with you, I heard him say your name, and I knew that it wasn’t chance that brought me to Mystic Falls so much as it was fate. I needed to be here, where it all began with Elijah spiriting Ylva away to keep her safe from Finn and Grandmother Esther, so that I could change Damon for you. I thought that I’d ruined everything when we got rounded up by the Founding Families, and that was the main reason I bargained with George Lockwood to help me escape. I needed to turn Damon while I had the chance, and it turned out that I had. Stefan might’ve been because of the Traveler’s curse and Markos’ spell, but Damon was about you from that very first night.” Katherine told her.

“How come you never told Grand-Klaus that, even under the compulsion to answer honestly?” Elena asked, confused.

“At the time, I was a four-hundred-year-old witch/vampire hybrid who’d been building up a tolerance to vervain and kept it in my system. His compulsions never worked that night, but I let him and Jonathan Gilbert think that they had. Before you ask, I never sought Nadia out because I couldn’t focus on more than one child at that point in my life. Everything I did was in preparation for your birth and eventual relationship with Damon, and I knew that Nadia deserved more than just half of my attention. She will find me when the time is right, especially now that I won’t be leaving town for at least a year, but you are my first priority. Your safety and happiness comes before anything else for me, even Tyler so long as he’s left in the dark about our bond and it isn’t solidified.” Katherine answered, and Elena took her turn to smile sadly.

“Don’t keep him in the dark for too long. You deserve happiness, too, Mama.” she said, hugging her doppelgänger.

“I think it'd be best if I wait to tell him until we have the spell to transfer my vampireyness to someone else. It would be bad to tell him and set off the extreme need for physical contact while a single bite from him could kill me. While Klaus’ blood is the cure for that, it wouldn’t be a good thing to ask for his blood with any major frequency.” Katherine promised, hugging Elena back.

At a quarter ‘til seven, the Gilbert-Mikaelson-Salvatore-Sommers-Saltzman-Forbes family were seated together along one block of metal bleachers at the Mystic Falls High School football field. Damon casually began whistling the tune of a song he’d heard on a show on MTV, and Elena began giggling beside him as she realized what he was doing. Klaus joined in his whistling, followed by Jenna and Liz’s humming. Alaric chuckled at this, and Katherine looked curiously at them all, so he leaned in to explain.

“The second verse of the song goes, ‘All my friends were vampires/Didn't know they were vampires/Turns out I was a vampire myself/In the devil town,’ and it’s most famous for being featured on the television show _Friday Night Lights_ , which is about high school football in Texas where, I can attest as someone whose entire family is from Texas despite being raised in Boston, football is pretty much the only thing anywhere near as important as God for most people.” he told her, and she began giggling along with Elena.

“You’ll have to play me the whole song later.” she said to Klaus, who nodded in response, just as the Timberwolves’ entrance music started up and signaled the start of the game.

The family watched for the numbers and names that they knew were theirs. Lockwood 1, Salvatore 17, Gilbert 10, and Mikaelson 4 rushed out onto the field with the rest of the team, and Katherine smiled when Tyler looked right at her. The werewolf winked, and Katherine reached into her shirt to pull her pendant with his ring attached out from under the fabric, holding onto the silver ring as if it were the only thing tying her to the planet. Damon caught this out of the corner of his eye and chuckled quietly. Katherine looked his way, and he shrugged.

“I just never thought I’d see the day when the great Katherine Pierce got this caught up on a guy. If Lockwood makes you happy, I’m not gonna mess with that, not when I know what it’s like to feel the way you do.” he said where only the vampires present would hear.

“Just promise me that you two will at least wait until after graduation before making me a great-grandmother for the seventeenth generation?” she joked just as quietly, and Elena rolled her eyes at the comment.

“That was part of the plan, Mama, especially since we know what to do now.” she said at the same volume the two of them had used. “Grand-Klaus keeps telling me that we need to take things one step at a time, and the next step is the immortality transferal spell.”

“All of you are correct, but I think we should give the field our attention. The Lions lost the coin toss, but the Timberwolves deferred, so none of our boys are playing yet, but it would be best to make sure that we know what’s going on in case the boys do want to discuss this later.” Klaus told them, and the three chuckled as they looked to see the rival school’s team with the ball.

At halftime, the score was massively in the Timberwolves’ favor. Kol and Stefan had downplayed their abilities significantly, but with the two of them and Jeremy being added to the team, the Timberwolves were well-stacked against their rivals. Elena watched amusedly as Katherine practically skipped down the bleacher steps to lean against the fence and talk to Tyler; looking around, she noticed that other people were noticing the way her doppelgänger and the scion of the Lockwood family looked at one another, and she wondered if that was how people had looked at her and Damon in the year or so before they’d been informed of their bond.

“I can safely say, lite lys, that yes, we did all look at the two of you like you were both blind to what was happening between you both.” Klaus whispered, and she shot him a half-glare.

“Reading my mind when I’m not aware that you’re doing it isn’t nice.” she replied, but he merely shrugged.

“I wasn’t intending on reading your mind so much as telepathically asking you if you’d had the chance to look over at Carol to see her reaction.” he told her, and she followed his suggestion only to begin giggling as she saw the conflicted look on the face of Tyler’s mother.

“Kat’s from a wealthy, respectable family, but she’s not a doll that Carol can dress up and have act a certain way. She’s got no idea what to do about this.” Elena said as she calmed down.

“Richard doesn’t look much better.” Damon noted. “He knows that, if he does try anything against Kat, he’ll have to deal not only with Klaus but also with Tyler; he has no idea what he’d do if his only son cut him off, especially after aligning with Klaus.”

While the family still seated in the bleachers discussed the state of the Lockwoods, Katherine ignored the looks that she knew she was getting. Her focus was on Tyler, only off Elena because of Damon’s presence, and she was happy with that. In that moment, everyone was safe and enjoying the game; there was no danger to keep her on edge for once, and she could feel the bond urging her to just kiss him and set the strengthening of their bond into motion. The logical part of her brain, however, reminded her that doing so would be a bad idea because she was going to die, at least briefly if Elena and Elijah were to be believed, hopefully within a year’s time. Tyler didn’t need to feel her death, not like that.

“Everything okay, Kat?” he asked, and she gave him a smile and a nod.

“Yeah, I was just thinking about some stuff dealing with…Klaus and his condition.” she told him, lowering her voice slightly, and he nodded in understanding.

“He’s really gonna, you know, kill you?” he asked, and she nodded.

“As Elena’s gotten older, he’s wanted to kill me less and less, but Elijah’s come up with an elixir that will bring me back to life within a few minutes. My death, it’s necessary for breaking the binding spell; Grandmother Esther did it that way on purpose because she knew that, should the line continue, Klaus would have to kill one of his own descendants to do it. He’s talked to Cary, the one coming to train you during the next full moon, and we can potentially get a werewolf who’s either sick or dying to be the sacrifice for that part, and we’re hoping to imprison Isobel’s newborn for the vampire sacrifice. It’s messy and complicated, but it’s what we have to do to keep Klaus from giving into the pain of being bound.” she said.

“Do you plan on taking your immortality back when it’s all over?” he asked, and she sighed.

“I really wish you wouldn’t ask me that.” she told him, regretting it moments later as a dark look crossed his face.

“Then pretend that I didn’t.” he replied taking a step back from the fence and turning to return to the bench.

“Wait, Tyler, don’t do this. At least let me tell you why I don’t wanna talk about this right now!” she said to him, and he sighed before taking a step towards her again.

“Alright. Why, Katherine?” he asked, and she looked up at him with shining eyes.

“Do you remember when I was surprised that you could tell Elena and me apart when the only other person in that room who could’ve done so in that moment was Damon?” she asked, and he nodded. “There are two ways things go after Klaus is unbound, and it isn’t a choice I can make alone. I need to talk to you about everything that goes into this before I can even begin to know what I plan on doing once this is all over, and this isn’t the place to have this conversation.”

Tyler was quiet at first, letting her words wash over him. After a moment had passed, he reached across the fence for her hand and threaded their fingers together. She smiled softly as he squeezed her hand, and she squeezed back.

“After the game, we can go for a run, maybe up to the Falls, and we’ll talk. It’s Friday, so I don’t have school tomorrow or anything, so we can talk as long as you think we need to, Kat, and we can go wherever you want. If what you’re not saying is what I think you’re not saying, this really isn’t the place for that conversation. I can feel my parents staring at me, and Klaus is many things, but subtle isn’t one of them at the moment.” he told her, and she laughed.

“He isn’t very subtle most of the time, but he means well…right now.” Katherine admitted, shaking her head as she heard Klaus snickering in the distance just Coach Tanner blew his whistle as a signal to the team that halftime was almost over. “You better get back out there, Timberwolf.”

“I’ll see you after the game?” he asked, and she nodded.

“I’ll see you after you _win_ this game.” she corrected, letting go of his hand and waiting for him to rejoin his team before making her way back up to her family.

The Timberwolves did win the game, and the group in the stands hurried to meet up with the players and cheerleaders that were a part of the family as they came out of the locker rooms in street clothes. Everyone was cheering and congratulating the four football players when, after a shift in the wind, all of the vampires turned sharply. Katherine slipped Tyler’s ring off her necklace and passed it to him, and the smell hit his nostrils as soon as the ring was back on his right hand.

“I’m taking Care back to the mansion.” Stefan said, and Klaus nodded.

“Bonnie, Jeremy, go with them. Liz, I need you to quietly alert the council and a medical response team. Even if we’re too late, we need to do what we can to save whoever’s blood we enhanced individuals are currently smelling.” he said, turning to Alaric. “Did you get all your stakes back last night?”

“Yeah, and I’ve got more in the truck. How do we handle this?” the hunter asked, and Damon took the reigns as the security specialist.

“The scent’s coming from the parking lot, so we need to keep as many people from leaving as possible. Jenna, you handle this with Ric and Liz.” he said, turning from the Original Vampiress to the supernatural king. “Klaus, you’ll walk towards the parking lot with me, Elena, Kat, Tyler, Kol, and Bex so that we can ‘stumble across’ whatever’s going on back there.”

“Why do we have to go? Can’t we help?” Bonnie asked, but Jeremy shook his head.

“Stef’s got control issues, remember? You’re helping by staying with me and being there in case Care needs your help.” he told her, and she nodded.

“Okay, I guess I can do that.” she said, and Caroline began steering the two of them and her boyfriend away from the group.

“We’ll see you guys when you’re done here.” she said, glad that she’d parked in the front parking lot instead that day.

Once the four had gone, everyone went about their assigned tasks. Klaus led the way towards the parking lot, and the smell of blood only thickened in the air as they moved closer. A dark shape lay on the ground several yards away. The three Originals, two vampire, werewolf, and dhampir made their way over to the shape, and Katherine was the first to react by grabbing ahold of Tyler’s shoulders and pushing him back once they could see that the shape was the body of William Tanner.

“Katherine, let me go! Let me help him!” Tyler said as he struggled against her hold.

“Tyler, no, you know as well as I do that he’s gone. His heart isn’t beating and his lungs aren’t breathing.” Katherine responded, the bond’s desire for physical touch roaring in her ears the longer she held onto him. “I know that it hurts, but you have to trust me.”

Tyler knew she was right and dropped to his knees, Katherine falling into a similar position beside him with her arms around his shoulders, and wept. Damon and Klaus were looking around for the responsible party, the bite marks on Tanner’s neck telling them that his death was at the hands of a vampire, and a sudden movement towards the tree line in the distance caught their eyes. The vampire who shot out of the woods towards them obviously didn’t know who they were, but he found out the hard way when Elena saw him shift slightly in Damon’s direction and sent him to the ground cradling his head the same way she had done to Pearl the previous night.

“Elena, sweetheart, you need to stop. I’m okay, I’m right here, and I’m sure that Klaus wants to interrogate this guy before you completely fry out his brain.” Damon told his wife, and she stopped the spell.

“Sorry, reflex.” she said, and Klaus vamped over to the unknown vampire and snapped his neck before hiding him in the woods and returning moments before Liz arrived with a medical response team and a couple of deputies.

It took about an hour for all five of them to give their carefully constructed statements to the sheriff’s deputies, and Liz did her part by keeping the search away from the area where Klaus had stashed the unknown vampire. Once the medics had taken Tanner’s body away and the deputies had said that the five were free to go, Klaus took the vampire to the boarding house and locked him in the basement cell. Damon and Elena agreed to go back to the mansion and tell the others what had happened, and Katherine told them that she would check in once she was sure that Tyler wasn’t going to run off or do something rash.

“Give me your keys, and I’ll see what I can do about making this night suck a little less.” she told him once everyone else had left, and he numbly handed her the keys to his ’71 Buick GS while letting her guide him into the front passenger seat.

Katherine got behind the wheel, the same way she had the previous Tuesday night, and Tyler thought that she was headed towards he mansion with the direction that she drove. When she didn’t turn down the mansion’s front drive, he was confused. They passed by a second drive a short while later, and he was even more confused then.

“Where are we going?” he asked her. “Who’re Klaus’ neighbors?”

“That second driveway goes to the house that Damon had built for Elena as a birthday present. She’s told me a bit about it, but he had a witch cast a protection spell that makes the property act as if it’s not vampire-owned, so I can’t go to their house if I’m not invited over by the two of them.” Katherine explained as she turned down a third driveway that appeared along the dark and winding road. “As for where we’re going, this is my house.”

Katherine’s house was a modern interpretation of the Southern Colonial style of home. She stopped the car outside the garage and reached into the small handbag she’d brought with her to the game for her own keys. Attached to her keyring was the remote for the garage doors, and she pressed the 2 button to open the second garage bay door before steering the car into the garage and shutting off the engine. After closing the garage door back, she led Tyler into the house through the door connected to the laundry room.

“Nice place.” he commented, and she let out a soft laugh.

“Thanks.” she replied as they stepped into the kitchen/living room area. “I bought it when Elena was born, but I haven’t been here nearly as much as I thought I would be since Grayson and Miranda moved her to New York when she was two months old.”

“You bought this place? I thought that you’ve been on the run from Klaus for five-hundred years?” he asked, and she smirked.

“I don’t like being a thief when I can help it, so I spent time in various jobs over the years, mostly teaching since there was a time when all you had to do to become a teacher was be a single woman who’d graduated high school. I also learned to read stock market trends almost as soon as the stock market was a thing and made sure to invest wisely.” Katherine said as she led him through the kitchen, into and through the dining room, and into the family room and its built-in bar area. “Now, I’m having a whisky. Would you like one?”

“Sure.” Tyler said, moving over to the sectional sofa and sinking down into the L-bend.

“Here, and remember to take small sips in the beginning.” Katherine said as she joined him moments later, gently pressing a glass into his hand while sitting down on his right.

“Thanks.” he told her, taking a sip of what one taste told him was a rather expensive whisky. “Why Coach Tanner? I mean, sure, the guy was a complete jackass in class, he even verbally attacked Elena a couple of times this week and ended up being confronted by Klaus, but why him?”

“Tyler, I can’t tell you why, other than that he was in the wrong place at the wrong time. He left the locker room before you guys, and he was in that parking lot alone. If the attacker was who Klaus and I thought it might’ve been, the person we’ve been waiting to see another attack from, he picked Coach Tanner simply because he was the first bit of blood to walk too close.” she said, her voice softer than he’d ever heard it.

“Who do you think it is?” he asked flatly.

“Jeremy and Elena’s parents’ accident wasn’t an accident. Elena’s birth mother, Isobel, hired a young man not much older than yourself who was down on his luck to get behind the wheel of a car and drive head-on into Grayson’s Audi while he and Miranda were driving back from Whitmore after dropping Jenna off to finish packing. The price was a couple thousand dollars and for Isobel to insure that this young man was turned. The training she gave him was minimal, if it occurred at all, and that would explain the sloppiness of the attack on Monday, that couple who were found just outside of town. Anna only admitted to having turned Ben McKittrick, and Klaus checked in on him Tuesday while everyone else was either at school or at work. He’s agreed to vampire training beyond what he got from Anna, and we know that he wasn’t the attacker last night because Klaus knows him at this point. The newborn is the most likely suspect, and Klaus is probably interrogating him right now. If it is the newborn, we’re going to have to rethink our vampire sacrifice because we can’t leave him alive now that he’s killed at least three victims in town.” she said, watching his face as he took in everything she told him.

“So, there’s nothing that any of us can do until Klaus is finished with this guy.” Tyler concluded, taking another sip before turning to face her. “In that case, are we gonna talk about that thing that you weren’t saying now?”

“If you mean that I, as a doppelgänger, am affected by soul magic and therefore have the ability to develop a soulmates bond with someone, then yes.” Katherine replied, setting her glass on the wooden breakfast tray on the ottoman in front of the couch. “I’ve tried to not acknowledge that there’s even the possibility of a soulmates bond having formed for me because I know that I’m going to die soon and don’t want you to suffer because of my imminent death, but I can hear it like a roaring in my ear every time you touch me. After a certain point, ignoring it isn’t an option.”

“If this Thing-That-Shall-Not-Be-Named is acknowledged by the both of us, what happens to me when you die?” he asked.

“Well, if Elena’s response to Damon being stabbed in the stomach with a wooden stake is any indication, you won’t even be allowed near the ritual site because you’d try to stop Klaus from killing me at all. Now, the two of them haven’t just acknowledged their bond; when they got married, Sheila preformed a special ceremony with a solidification spell that ties their souls together for the rest of their lives. Before solidification, the bond is more malleable, more like the current stage of Stefan and Caroline’s relationship. If Caroline were to be killed tomorrow, Stefan would live but would never be truly happy again, and vice versa. From what documentation I do have, in a Grimoire that I told Elena where to find earlier today, bonded individuals who’ve had their bond solidified before both halves were immortal reported the immortal partner being put through excruciating pain while the mortal partner was in transition given that, in order to become a vampire, you have to die with vampire blood in your system and feed on human blood once you awaken, otherwise you die. Assuming we’re going into my death with The Thing unsolidified, you would be in some pain, but you would live.” she said, a surprised smile forming on her face as he reached out, set his drink beside hers on the tray, and took her hand in his.

“As long as you came back to life like you say you will, then all of that pain would be worth it.” he said to her. “Now, tell me how this affects whether you keep your immortality, please?”

“Remember how Klaus told you about vampires being given weaknesses by Nature to make us not all-powerful as my great-grandmother intended?” he nodded, so she continued. “One of those weaknesses is werewolf venom. If you bit me right now, I would more or less develop the vampire equivalent of rabies. The only cure is Klaus’ blood, as the Original Hybrid, and I don’t think either of us wants to explain to him what happened if you ever bit me. In addition to that, you will age and eventually die because werewolves aren’t immortal. The two options that we have are either you drink Klaus’ blood after the ritual and become a hybrid yourself but not lessening the toxicity of your venom at all, or I don’t take my immortality back and live my life as a regular doppelgänger-witch.”

“What would the likelihood be of me biting you ever if we went with the first option?” he asked, and she shrugged.

“I can’t say for certain, though I know that it would be necessary if we ever wanted children because the only way a female vampire can conceive is if she and her partner are feeding on one another during the moment of climax, and said partner has to be her soulmate.” she said, and he gave a slow, yet short nod. “Don’t force yourself to pick an option right now. You’re seventeen and shouldn’t be thinking about children at all.”

“Says the woman who got pregnant at seventeen and had a baby at eighteen.” Tyler said, a half-teasing smile on his face.

“Five hundred years ago, you were lucky to live past thirty or forty. By most standards, I should’ve already been married when I got pregnant with Nadia, but my father made that impossible when he did everything in his power to keep my sister and me home at all times. He knew our family’s history and thought that he could bargain with the infamous Original Hybrid if one of his daughters was the doppelgänger that Klaus sought. He kept us from practicing our magic as often as we should have because he wanted us unable to defend ourselves against Klaus when the time came, but neither Sofia nor I stopped altogether. His oppressiveness with magic is what led me to Nadia’s father, so, in a way, it’s all his fault.” Katherine pointed out with a smile, and Tyler chuckled.

“Keeping all of that in mind, I think that the best decision is to wait to make a decision about your immortality until it’s closer to whenever Klaus can actually do the ritual. We have up to a year to make the most of what we have now, getting to know one another and not thinking about the future for a change.” he told her. “Regardless as to what either of us might choose in a year, I know that I’m choosing you either way, Katerina Petrova-Mikaelson, and that’s the only part I care about right now...well, that and whether I get to kiss you.”

“I agree with everything you just said, Tyler, but there’s no turning back if you kiss me. It’ll be the two of us forever, one way or another, if you go ahead and ki-” Katherine started to say, but her words were cut off by Tyler’s lips pressed gently against hers.

“Sorry, but I stopped listening after ‘no turning back.’” Tyler admitted, and Katherine let out a laugh as she smiled at him.

“Somehow, I think that’s okay.” she said, still smiling. “Kiss me again?”

“You don’t have to tell me twice.” he said before capturing her lips once more, both of them smiling into the kiss.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Alright, sweets, it looks like Alaric is about to get an offer for a new job. I will say that I had hoped for a bit more of a slow-burn with Tyler and Katherine, but they decided that waiting wasn't worth it. I hope you think that this was the right decision, sweets, and until next time...XOXO


	24. Ut Cor Meum Non Est Verum

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "And you can try to stop my dancin' feet/But I just cannot stand still/'Cause the world keeps spinning/'Round and 'round/And my heart's keeping time/To the speed of sound/I was lost 'til I heard the drums/Then I found my way/'Cause you can't stop the beat..."  
>  -"You Can't Stop the Beat," from Hairspray

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: And so, sweets, thus concludes the Nickelback binge. This chapter is mostly, oddly for the final quarter or so of a story, a filler chapter that, while it holds important information for character development and future events, doesn't necessarily further the plot by much. Either way, I hope you enjoy it!

Tyler woke the next morning smiling, and it took him a moment to determine why. His Friday had started out with him having breakfast at the Gilbert house with Jeremy, Caroline, and Bonnie while watching Damon and Elena play Mom and Dad to all of them. School had been fairly boring given that he was too excited about the football game that evening to really pay attention in most of his classes. After school, he’d been in the locker room with the team as they listened to Coach Tanner’s pre-game speech that, he realized as he reflected on it, hadn’t exactly been kind to Matt, his best friend. Then, when their uniforms were on and it was time to run out onto the field, he remembered looking up into the stands to wave to his parents like always and looking away from them after his wave to see Katherine with her family. She’s smiled at him, and he winked at her knowing that she’d see it no matter the distance; she then surprised him by pulling her necklace out of her shirt to show him that his ring was still there. During halftime, at which point his team was ahead, he jogged over to the fence to talk to the vampiress that he’d been spending much of his time with since triggering his curse. When he’d asked her about whether she would reclaim her immortality after breaking Klaus’ binding curse, he’d felt hurt by her refusal to discuss the matter. Only when she alluded to there being something deeper between the two of them, a reason that he’d been able to tell her and Elena apart when they’d purposefully made themselves appear identical, did he agree to talk after the game that she insisted his team would win. Katherine had been right, but the good feelings that winning brought hadn’t lasted long. Coach Tanner had been killed in the parking lot by a vampire that none of them knew, and Katherine had been the one who’d gotten him away from the scene once they’d been cleared by the deputies; he was grateful, knowing that he never would’ve made it home on his own with the amount of rage that had stirred within him upon seeing his coach’s body. She’d brought him back to her house, offered him a drink, and answered his every question while posing a few of her own. At the end of their conversation, he’d finally kissed her after having had the urge to do so since she’d driven him to the Mikaelson mansion Tuesday night.

Before even opening his eyes, Tyler felt the weight of someone lying in his arms with their head on his chest. As he gazed down as the woman snuggled against him, his smile remained intact as he saw Katherine sleeping soundly. He noticed that she was wearing little else but the shirt that he’d changed into after the game the night before, and it seemed much bigger on her than he’d thought it would have. She’d put it on before bed the previous night, he recalled. With the adrenaline of the day fleeing his system, he’d quickly grown tired and had let out a loud yawn as they finished their drinks after making out on the couch like two fourteen-year-old in their first real relationship. Katherine had led him up the stairs to her room, vamping back out to his car while he looked around and bringing back his gym bag containing his practice sweats. Surprising to him, Tyler learned that Katherine didn’t actually own pajamas because she tended to not sleep. It wasn’t necessary for vampires like it was for humans, witches, and werewolves, and she was almost always busy doing something. The rare occasions when she did sleep, Katherine told him that she would just sleep in her underwear or sometimes nothing depending on where she was and what she was doing at the time.

“I can safely say that either of those would be a bad idea tonight, Kat, or else I’m never gonna go to sleep.” he had told her, and she giggled.

“I have an idea then.” she had replied. “Give me your shirt.”

He’d complied, curious as to what she was thinking. He went about changing out of his jeans and into his sweats, looking up as he was putting the jeans in his gym bag only to see Katherine shimming out of her t-shirt and shorts. She stood with her back to him in her lacy, black underwear smirking at him in the mirror as she pulled his shirt over her head and let it fall down to her thighs. After reaching up and taking her hair out of the bun she’d worn it in during the game and most of the night, she walked over to him and slipped her arms around his neck. He’d kissed her again softly before they got into bed, and the only thing stopping him from kissing her again right then was his reluctance to wake her.

“An' I don't give a damn 'bout my reputation/Never said I wanted to improve my station/An' I'm only doin' good when I'm havin' fun/An' I don't have to please no one…” the sudden sound of his phone ringing snapped Tyler out of his day-dreaming gaze and caused Katherine to stir as he answered with a tired sigh.

“Hey, Mom.” he said, well aware that Katherine would be able to hear whatever his mother said.

“ _Hey? You’re coach was killed last night, you don’t come home, and all I get out of you is ‘Hey’?_ ” Carol asked, clearly angry. “ _Where are you, Tyler? Are you at the Donovan’s again?_ ”

“Mom, no, I’m not at Matt’s.” Tyler told her. “I wasn’t in any emotional state to be driving last night, so I gave Kat my keys a-”

“ _Kat? You left with Katherine Pierce-Mikaelson, who promised me that she’d make sure that you called me the next time you planned on disappearing with her, and unshockingly didn’t call me. Tyler, we’ve talked about this. You need to think about your future and the type of woman you intend on bringing into this family, and I really think that you should give Blair Fell a ch-_ ” Carol cut him off only to be cut off herself by her son moments later.

“Mom, if you finish that sentence, I’m done. I told Dad the other day that I would never speak to him again if he continued to lash out at Kat the way he had been when she’d accompanied Klaus, Damon, and Elena to a meeting that Klaus had arranged with him, and I meant every word of what I said. You don’t know Kat at all, haven’t even bothered trying to get to know her, and the only reason you want me to go out with Blair Fell is so that you can be the first in Mystic Falls to unite two of the Founding Families which, by the way, you’re more than a little late for seeing as how Caroline Forbes has been dating Stefan Salvatore since this past summer.” Tyler said, his anger lessening only when he felt a small hand on his bare shoulder and turned to see Katherine staring at him with wide eyes. “When I get married, it’s not gonna be because a name. It’ll be because I’ve found someone who I don’t wanna spend another day of my life without, someone who I actually love, and someone who means more to me than anyone or thing in the world. Look, I’ve gotta go, but I’ll be home soon.”

Ending the call with his mother before she could say anything to rebut him, Tyler ran a hand through his hair as Katherine cuddled back against his side. He wrapped an arm around her, and she intertwined their fingers as she took his hands in her own. The effect was calming, and he felt the anger flooding him as she began running her fingers over his ring.

“Would you really cut your mother out of your life just because she doesn’t think that I’m an acceptable future Mrs. Lockwood?” she asked, somewhere between amusement and awe.

“Well, since I’m pretty sure that you’re the only possible future Mrs. Lockwood, I’d do whatever I had to do to keep you safe and happy. My dad trying to stake you and my mom constantly degrading you wouldn’t allow for a very safe or happy life.” he replied with a chuckle.

“As you’re not cutting either of them out today, you should probably head home soon before she tries looking for us at the mansion.” she told him, and he smirked.

“I’ll need my shirt if I’m driving home.” he pointed out, and she smirked back at him.

Tyler made it home a little over an hour later, but he found himself wearing the t-shirt he’d worn under his jersey during the school day instead of the shirt Katherine had taken. Between only having known each other three days and knowing that his mother was looking for him, neither Tyler nor Katherine let things go beyond kissing, but she had still found a way to keep his shirt. He knew that fighting her was useless, so he just hoped that his mother never asked what had happened to that particular shirt and expected an honest answer.

He didn’t even see his mother when he first arrived home. He could hear her, having not given his ring back to Katherine before leaving her house, but he ignored what she was saying in favor of going upstairs to his room and grabbing a change of clothes. The young werewolf sent a text to his best friend before going to shower, asking Matt if he wanted to meet up at the Mystic Grill for lunch, Tyler’s treat, to catch up since he’d been busy the last few days. Not waiting for a response, he went into his bathroom and began undressing. Somewhat nervously, he removed his ring and set it on the small shelf along the back of the sink. He’d never taken the ring off and not immediately handed it over to Katherine, so he hesitated before getting into the shower and cleaning himself up as quickly as possible. The second he’d turned off the water and wrapped a towel around his waist, Tyler grabbed the ring and slipped it back onto his right hand. He could feel all of his enhanced senses returning to him, and he could suddenly hear his mother walking towards his room. Dressing quickly, he hurried over to his door and opened it before she had the chance to knock.

“Hi, Mom.” he said, leaning against the doorframe while his mother stared back at him in surprise.

“Tyler, I didn’t realize that you were home already.” Carol replied, not realizing how suspicious she’d made her son.

“It’s not for long. I’m gonna head over to Matt’s, or maybe meet him at the Grill, so we can catch up. I’ve been helping Kat adjust to Mystic Falls, and I feel like a bad friend for ignoring him this week. Plus, while Coach Tanner wasn’t exactly nice to him by constantly comparing him to Ben McKittrick and finding it in him to praise everyone on the team but Matt, he still loved Coach Tanner the way we all did.” Tyler told her, and she gave him a small nod.

“How are you doing after…everything?” she asked, clearly unsure of how to approach him, and he shrugged.

“I could tell you that I’m fine, but that would be a lie, and you didn’t raise me to lie to you about things like this. It’s a lot to take in, but I know that I’ll be okay. I’ve got you and Dad, I’ve got my friends, and I’ve got Kat to help me work through whatever trauma comes with finding your football coach’s body in the parking lot after the game after he’s clearly been attacked by some sort of wild animal. Doe Sheriff Forbes have any leads on that?” he replied, watching his mother’s eyes as she pretended to go along with his wild animal theory.

“No, not that I’m aware of, but I’m going to be seeing her later and will be sure to ask then.” Carol said, pausing for a moment before continuing with a new subject. “I thought about what you said on the phone earlier, and you were right. I haven’t taken the time to get to know Katherine, and I forgot what it’s like to be young and just live your life without having your parents dump all of their expectations on you at once. Though I’m sure that Blair Fell is a lovely girl, or so Elaine keeps telling me, pushing you to like her was very unfair of me to do to you. Can you forgive me, Ty-Ty?”

“Ooh, childhood nicknames mean your serious.” Tyler said with a smile that didn’t quite reach his eyes. “Of course, I forgive you, Mom, but you have to actually give Kat a chance instead of judging her for standing up for Vicki the other day. You always told me not to judge others, but you don’t practice what you preach.”

“I know, and I know that, on some level, I’m never going to be completely okay with any girl you bring home because, as your mother, I have an admittedly unrealistic expectation for any woman who might take my baby boy away. However, I will also admit that I can’t keep you a baby forever and have to let you grow up and make your own decisions at some point. In saying this, and knowing that I’ve already done everything short of asking her myself, how would you feel about me giving Katherine a Miss Mystic application?” she asked him, and his smile finally reached his eyes.

“Would I still have to be Blair Fell’s escort?” he asked, and his mother sighed.

“She has to be selected by the rest of the committee first, Tyler, and I can only do so much for the girls who don’t have a Founding Family name attached to them. I wasn’t one of them, so you know how much I hate that the committee favors them over the other girls, but I can see what I can do about changing the escort arrangements should Katherine make it into the pageant.” she told him with a quiet laugh, and he gave her a nod.

“In that case, give her the application.” he said, pausing for a moment as a thought struck him. “Although, if she hasn’t already submitted one, I’d give an application to Elena, too. There’s no way Kat would even apply if her sister couldn’t.”

“Elena submitted her application in May, and I wasn’t surprised given that it was her mother who beat me out for the crown when we were teenagers.” Carol said with a knowing smile, and Tyler chuckled. “You wouldn’t happen to know if Damon Salvatore would be her escort, would you? If not him, then could you ask Matt?”

“Mom, look, it’s not a secret that Damon is her best friend, and he’s probably the only guy she’d let be her escort. On the off chance that she doesn’t ask him, she wouldn’t want it to be Matt because of him being Caroline’s ex. Other than Damon, Caroline is her best friend, and even I know that girls have rules about exes.” Tyler answered, and his mother’s expression told him that he was right. “Oh, and you should probably tell Jeff that Caroline won’t be needing him as her escort since she’s with Stefan now. Maybe he can be Blair’s escort?”

“I’ll see about it.” Carol said with a humored smile as she walked away, and Tyler smiled to himself as he went over to his phone and saw that Matt had agreed to meet him at the Grill.

When Tyler got to the Grill, Matt was already there. The two grabbed one of the booths near the bar area, and Tyler glanced over to see Ben at the bar with a shiny new lapis lazuli ring on his right hand. Giving Ben a small nod of acknowledgement, he turned back to his best friend.

“Dude, I know I’ve been AWOL the past few days, but you know you’re always gonna be my best friend, right?” he asked, and the blond nodded.

“I know too much for you to ever get rid of me, Ty.” Matt joked, but his expression shifted into a more serious one as he continued. “Where have you been, though? I mean, I’d usually ask Vicki since I’d just assume that you were with her, but since she’s been home after school every day since the party, I know you weren’t with my sister. You two break up or something?”

“Vicki and I realized that we want different things and that my mother was never gonna accept her.” Tyler admitted.

“So, you dumped my sister because of your mom’s whole Founding Families thing?” Matt asked, but Tyler shook his head.

“No, it was mutual. I’m not good for your sister because I’ve been helping her with getting pills and booze when I shouldn’t have because I knew that my mom hated her and wouldn’t have approved. As much fun as Vicki and I had, she used me for drugs just as much as I used her to piss off my mom. We agreed that we’re not doing anyone any favors by staying together.” he said, telling his friend as much of the truth as was allowed by Klaus.

“And since breaking up with my sister, you’ve been…” Matt trailed off, and the werewolf chuckled, opening his mouth to respond just as a small hand landed on his shoulder.

“Yes, Kat?” he asked, the scent of her perfume telling him who the hand belonged to just as much as the nails coated in dark burgundy polish.

“Should I be suspicious of your mother showing up at the mansion this morning to give me an application for Miss Mystic after the conversation the two of you had about me before you went home?” Katherine asked, sliding into the booth beside him.

“She admitted that I was right in saying that she hadn’t tried getting to know you and wanted to correct her mistake. If you don’t wanna do the pageant, then don’t worry about it.” he said, but she smirked at him.

“Thank you for trying, and you’re cute when you try talking me out of something you know I probably shouldn’t do if either me or my opposition has an ulterior motive. We both know she was giving me this application no matter what you said just so that she would be able to judge me based on what I write.” she said, and he shrugged.

“Hey, I’ll take being cute.” he told her. “Sorry you had to hear that conversation, by the way.”

“I’ve been called worse than the wrong type of woman, and I’m just talking about what Damon said at breakfast.” Katherine admitted, and Tyler raised an eyebrow.

“What did Damon say?” he asked, and she rolled her eyes.

“Oh, just his usual stuff. In particular, he said that he was glad to see me no longer being the lying, backstabbing, two-timing bitch I was when we first met. Bex still says I’m Grandfather’s Little Psycho when she thinks Klaus isn’t paying attention, especially with Elijah being away this week, and Stefan tends to stick with calling me the ex from hell.” she said, and Tyler snickered.

“Isn’t Klaus always paying attention?” he asked, and she smiled. “I mean, I remember the conversation that he and Damon had on Tuesday, after the party, and Damon was asking him to quit paying attention if he didn’t want to know things.”

“Um, Tyler, we were talking about you being AWOL since Tuesday night?” Matt managed to cut in, and Tyler forced himself to tear his gaze from Katherine.

“That would be my fault.” Katherine said. “When we were leaving the party on Tuesday, I took Tyler’s keys once I realized that he wasn’t in any shape to drive. He spent the night at the Mikaelson mansion with my family, and he decided to thank me for not letting him drive that night by giving me a crash-course on Mystic Falls society.”

“Weren’t your parents from here?” Matt asked, but Tyler corrected the mistake he realized his friend had made.

“Matt, this is Katherine Pierce-Mikaelson, Elena’s twin sister. Their birth mother gave them up without anyone in her family knowing that she’d even been pregnant, and Elena was adopted by the Gilberts while Kat was adopted by the Pierces. The Mikaelsons found them years after the fact, and most of the stuff Kat knew about this town before Tuesday was from the historical record given that what she knew was from Elijah’s research.” he explained, Katherine nodding along beside him. “My mom doesn’t really like her much, however, because one of the first conversations that the two of them had was over my mom being too hard on your sister.”

“You stuck up for Vicki?” Matt asked Katherine, and she shrugged.

“I’ve seen what happens to girls like her, the ones who are looked down upon and cast aside because they’re not perfect. Carol brought up the heritage display, and I told her that I thought that the perfect addition would be a portrait of your sister with a plaque labeling the Founding Families as being responsible if anything bad were to happen to her, the Lockwoods and Fells specifically, no offense, Tyler.” the vampiress admitted, and Matt chuckled. “I left after saying that, and things didn’t get much better for her from what we were told.”

“Oh, I bet your mom loved that, Ty.” he said, shaking his head.

“That was just the start.” Tyler told him. “Now, I didn’t see it personally, but I heard about it from Kol and Klaus Mikaelson later on that night, but after Kat took off and I went to make sure that she was okay, my mom had to face Elena’s wrath because she is very protective of her family. When _Elena_ stormed off, my mom had to deal with an angry Damon Salvatore before Klaus had him go check on Elena.”

“They’re together, aren’t they, Damon and Elena?” Matt asked, and Katherine nodded.

“It’s kind of a secret. Grayson and Miranda knew, and they were supportive, but they also knew that not everyone would be. The Mikaelson family loves Damon and Stefan both, and the only reason those two aren’t that crazy about me is because I dated both of them a few years ago…at the same time. It was right after I was officially brought back into the family; I was a pretty messed up kid back then, and I left a lot of damage in my wake when Klaus sent me off to boarding school. I’m actually really glad that both boys had someone to put them back together after how completely screwed up I left them.” she said, sticking to the story Elena had mentioned telling a girl in her gym class.

“But still, your twin sister?” Matt asked in disbelief.

“Elena’s been his best friend since the day he moved in with the Gilberts, and she’d already had to deal with the emotional trauma he’d suffered from two other girlfriends before me. I think that somewhere along the way, Damon just realized that the girl who’d been picking up the pieces after every miserable failure of a relationship that he’d been in was the only one who didn’t expect him to be anyone other than himself. They work because they’re the only ones that the other is comfortable enough with to completely let down every wall and feel everything instead of trying to hide their pain, anger, and sadness behind fake happiness.” Katherine told him. “Either way, they don’t want people knowing because of people like Tyler’s mom, no offense, who would wanna make something out of their relationship other than that they absolutely love each other more than anyone or thing.”

Katherine stayed to talk with the two teenage boys until a waitress came over to take their orders. Matt asked if she was staying, but she declined the invitation and told them that she had to meet with Klaus as he toured potential properties for his arts center. Beneath the table, she squeezed Tyler’s right hand with her left and ghosted her fingers across his ring before whispering that Klaus has said for him to keep it.

“Call me later?” she asked him as she slid out of the booth, and he nodded.

“I’ll see you later, Kat.” he told her, somewhat surprised when she leaned down and pressed a light kiss to his cheek before leaving the restaurant.

“What was that?” Matt asked, and Tyler could only smile.

“That was Katherine Pierce-Mikaelson, man, and I can’t explain it any better than that.” the werewolf said before turning to the waitress and placing his order.

Back on the other side of town, Damon and Elena were curled up on the sofa watching _The Princess Bride_ , laughing as Fezzik and Inigo tried explaining the previous events of the film to Westley as he awoke from being mostly dead. The death of Coach Tanner and subsequent imprisoning of the vampire who’d done it had put a definitive damper on the couple’s weekend plans, as Damon had lost his desire to bed a cheerleader for the time being and they’d left the Mikaelson mansion after breakfast that morning upon agreeing to keep their phones on in case Klaus got the vampire to admit to working for Isobel, so they’d settled in to watch a movie instead. Damon was lying on his back, his head in Elena’s lap, and she could hear him practically purr as she ran her fingers through his hair; as per their deal, he hadn’t touched his straightener that morning, and she was currently wearing a pair of leggings and one of his t-shirts. As the movie neared its end and Peter Faulk’s narration described how there had been five kisses rated as the Most Passionate and Most Pure, he turned his head from the screen to look up into a pair of mirthful brown eyes.

“If that kiss topped the other five, then I’m confident that we could easily top that one.” he told her, and she smiled softly.

“We have, and we’ve done it more than once.” Elena replied, and Damon smiled as she continued. “If I had to list the Top Five, I’d have to start with the night we agreed that we wanted to get married, then Christmas, then the kiss we had the night that I ran Sage off, followed by the night we got engaged, and, as the Most Passionate and Most Pure kiss ever, is the kiss from our wedding.”

“I totally agree with that list, princess.” he said, taking her left hand in both of his and bringing it to his lips to press a kiss to her rings. “Part of me still can’t believe that we’ve been married for almost four months.”

“You should start believing it, baby, because I plan on being right beside you for the next four centuries if possible.” she told him. “I will always pick you first, and you’ll never have to worry about me not wanting you or about you not being good enough for me.”

“Now who’s reading whose journals?” Damon teased, though his tone turned more serious as he added to his first remark. “I know that, sweetheart, I promise you that I do, but I almost got you killed two nights ago. Nothing scares me more than the thought of losing you, and Thursday was the closest we’ve ever come to that.”

“Baby, I know, but I also know that we can’t stay stuck living in thoughts of What If and If Only for the rest of our lives. We have to think about What Will Be, and what will be for us is nothing short of amazing. I talked to Mama yesterday while you were meeting with Klaus to go over whatever his new project for you is, and she told me how you can get me pregnant. You heard what she said, even if it was somewhat awkward for us all.” Elena told him, her smile near-forcing his to return as he remembered what Katherine had told her. “We know what to do now, and we can start trying as early as next summer since there’s not a lot the town could do after my birthday, though we should probably wait until after Grand-Klaus’ ritual just in case something goes wrong with that.”

“Given the timeline that Klaus has set for himself, how about we make a deal?” he asked her. “In two years, starting the day before my birthday, we’ll actually go on our honeymoon and start trying for our Rosella. Does that sound like a plan to you, princess?”

“I think it sounds like the perfect plan.” she agreed, placing her hands on either side of his face as he sat up just enough to meet her halfway for a soft, sweet kiss.

Hours later, as Damon and Elena slept soundly in one another’s arms, the couple was awoken by Elena’s cellphone blaring out the tune to “Who’s Afraid of the Big Bad Wolf,’ signaling a call from her hybrid great-grandfather. Sighing tiredly, Elena answered the call while Damon leaned against her to listen to what Klaus had to say. Both hoped it was at least something worth waking them up, otherwise they would have to remind Klaus again that Elena still required sleep.

“Hello, Grand-Klaus.” she greeted drowsily. “Is something wrong?”

“ _No, my darling, there isn’t necessarily anything wrong per say. Rather, we have a couple of inconvenient happenings that need to be addressed. I only just got home, so, even though I know that it is late and that the two of you were undoubtedly asleep, I decided to call to inform you that we’re having a Family Sunday Dinner in order to discuss these developments._ ” Klaus said, and Damon rolled his eyes.

“That definitely could’ve waited until later, Klaus.” he said, knowing that the Original Hybrid would hear him. “You called this late to get your revenge for Tuesday night when we didn’t take separate showers.”

“Unless you have anything else to say, Grand-Klaus, I’m hanging up now. We’ll see you at dinner.” Elena added, and Klaus chuckled.

“ _I’ll see the two of you at dinner,_ _lite lys. Good night._ ” he said, and Elena ended the call before turning towards Damon.

“I’m sorry about that.” she told him. “Uncle Elijah is at least eighty percent of Grand-Klaus’ impulse control.”

“It’s alright, princess. Klaus is probably the only person in existence more impulsive than me, so I don’t exactly have room to judge.” he replied, smiling at her sleepily as laid his head back on his pillow. “We’ve still got time to go back to sleep.”

Elena smiled back at him as she copied his actions. Damon pulled her close as she laid down again, but he could tell by her breathing that she wasn’t going back to sleep. She was trying, but Damon knew from experience that Elena was still wide awake.

“What’s going on in there, Lena?” he asked her.

“Working off the assumption that I’m automatically in because of Mom being a former winner and the Gilberts being a Founding Family, would it be too suspicious if you were my escort for Miss Mystic Falls?” she asked in reply, and she could feel his chest rumble as he laughed softly. “What’s so funny?”

“Sorry, sweetheart, it’s just that Tyler sent me a text this morning after Carol decided to give Kat an application for the pageant. Turns out, she asked if I would be acting as your escort for Miss Mystic Falls, and Tyler told her that I’m probably the only one you’d allow to be your escort. So, knowing that, not only would I think it’d be more suspicious if I wasn’t, but I also think that I wouldn’t be able to watch some other guy slow dancing with you without causing some sort of scene.” Damon said, rolling his eyes slightly as he saw her smile before biting her lip. “Now what?”

“I’m not tired anymore.” Elena said, tracing his tattoo lightly. “I thought too much, and now my brain is wide awake.”

“Oh?” he asked as she looked up at him and nodded against his chest. “Well, it just so happens that I’m wide awake now, too, and I might be able to do something about that.”

Mid-morning on Sunday, the couple had finally roused themselves from bed and managed to relocate as far as the couch again. After Damon had picked _The Princess Bride_ the day before, it was Elena’s turn to pick the movie. Damon smiled widely as the opening credits for _Grease_ began to roll, and he started singing along the moment that “Summer Nights” started playing. Elena played the Sandy to Damon’s Danny without hesitation, and they played the chorus for one another through multiple fits of laughter. When the film reached “Hopelessly Devoted to You,” Damon had resumed the position he’d been lying in the day before while watching his choice. He still sang along with Olivia Newton-John on screen, but he did so while staring up at Elena as she played with his hair.

“I guess that sums up how you felt about Kat when Dad first told you what she’d done.” Elena told him, and he nodded against her knees.

“At first, yeah. I was completely heartbroken because I really thought that she’d loved me. Of course, now I know that it was you, not me, that she truly loved and that she did what she did to me because she wanted me to be around for you. Still, at that point in my life, I would’ve done whatever she said without question and would’ve forgiven her for everything in an instant…until you walked in and decided that I was and am yours.” Damon said, a soft, happy smile forming on his face.

“Did you ever think that you might’ve been sire-bound to her?” Elena asked, but he shook his head.

“I know I wasn’t because I was never able to sense her any of the times she checked in on me, just to see if I was still alive, while she was waiting for you to be born. It’s something that Klaus and I discussed last week when we were talking about the New Orleans trip. Charlotte will sense it the second I set foot in the city, should our soulmates bond not have terminated the sire bond between her and I, and she will come for me thinking that I’m there for her. If I’d been sire-bound to Katherine, I don’t think that she could’ve hidden from me for as long as she did.” Damon told her. “I’m glad that I wasn’t, though, because this means that I was never truly in love with any other woman before you.”

“And you told me that you’re not sweet!” she teased, and he rolled his eyes.

“Why does me being honest have to make me sweet?” he asked. “It’s not like you’ve never been attracted to another guy!”

“I haven’t.” Elena said with a shrug, causing him to sit up and turn to stare at her in confusion.

“Not even Justin Timberlake?” Damon asked, eyebrow raised, and Elena nodded.

“Yeah, not even him.” she told him, and he blinked in surprise. “Damon, when I was twelve and got invited to Mary-Grace Wexler’s birthday party where we were all coerced into playing Truth or Dare, the game got called off because Mary-Grace thought that I was lying about not having an interest in dating any of the guys we were in school with and wanted me to do the Dare option which would’ve had me kiss Ryan Watson, the same idiot that you told off the Wednesday before Valentine’s Day this year. I refused to kiss him not only because I wasn’t lying, but also because I wanted my first kiss to be with the only man I’ve ever loved. While the other girls doodled ‘Mrs. Timberlake’ in their notebooks, I wrote ‘Mrs. Salvatore’ in mine because there was never anyone else for me.”

“You’ve never found another guy attractive?” he asked, still not completely buying it.

“No, I have, but I wasn’t attracted _to_ them. There have been plenty of guys, including Ryan Watson, who I think are objectively attractive, but I’ve never been sexually attracted to anyone but you. I mean, if I was asked to define the word ‘Sexy,’ I know that I wouldn’t be able to describe anything or one other than you. Everything about you from both a physical and intellectual standpoint is attractive to me, and you’re the only man I’ve ever felt that way about, Damon Francesco Salvatore.” Elena admitted, giggling as he pulled her into his lap.

“Well, with that logic, I can see why. Obviously, I set the bar way too high for anyone else to compare; I am the Eternal Stud.” Damon said confidently, and his wife nodded in agreement.

“You most certainly are, baby, and no other man could ever be the same perfect mixture of sweet, sexy, sensitive, protective, brave, sarcastic, intelligent, and fun as you.” she told him, smiling as the school dance scene began on screen. “Care told me that this year’s Decades Dance is a 50s theme. We don’t have to go if you don’t want to, as that wasn’t exactly your favorite decade.”

“Those weren’t the best years of my life, no, but I think that gives me all the more reason to go. Not only have you still not gone to a high school dance, but I also like being able to have these experiences with you, princess, and if I can pretend for a few hours that we’re in back in time at a 50s sock-hop rather than think of those years as just my imprisonment at Whitmore, I say let's do it.” he told her.

“How do we explain you being there without you volunteering to chaperone? Ric and Jenna are already talking about volunteering, and he’s probably about to become my new history teacher Any ideas?” she asked, and he chuckled.

“Much like with Miss Mystic Falls, you tend not to dance without me, Lena.” he pointed out, needing no further explanation.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: So, sweets, Matt has returned to the story after an absence. He will appear more frequently in the future, I promise, and he will get a much happier ending than just being the running gag of the only human in a town of supernatural people who somehow hasn't died.
> 
> Also, I felt that whether the brothers were ever sire-bound to Katherine needed to be addressed before this story's end. It's hard to know if they ever truly were due to both Salvatores having turned off their humanity at various points prior the beginning of canon, and Markos' spell makes everything even more convoluted for Stefan. Personally, I don't think that they were, and I think that the entire idea of the sire bond was just another ridiculous plot device the writers used to keep Damon and Elena apart and create drama for the sake of drama. If it wasn't for Charlotte, who I already have ideas and outlines concerning, I would've done away with them entirely. I digress, however, and I leave you with the following questions: What color(s) should the ladies wear for Miss Mystic Falls; Who all should compete (canon or no, all "teenage" female residents of Mystic Falls are options); And what should Mia be doing to explain her reasons for being in town/living back at the boarding house?
> 
> Until next time...XOXO

**Author's Note:**

> A/N: Hello, sweets. I hope you've all enjoyed your reading. Until next time...XOXO


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